Lokison
by Karmitara
Summary: Finding out that his whole childhood was a lie via a freak accident, forcing May to come clean with him, Peter felt as if he was still somehow winning in life. He could live with what he found out and, in a way, it made sense. But then the Asgardians came to Earth. /May turn into a oneshot book because I absolutely love this idea so much...
1. Lokison

**TAKEN FROM MY OTHER STORY SPIDER AND SNAKE**

**An AU Spidey-Snake story requested by Kal-drxwn on Wattpad! I hope that you enjoy it! I love this idea so much; it was hard for me to stop the story where I did... I could have kept working on this for a long time!**

Peter had to admit, his life was pretty good all things considered. He was a super hero stopping crime and saving lives while somehow managing to be a top student in school; not to forget about his 'internship' at Stark Industries. It was awesome.

Despite finding out that his whole childhood was a lie via a freak accident, forcing May to come clean with him, Peter felt as if he was still winning in life. He could live with what he found out and, in a way, it made sense.

But then the Asgardians came to Earth.

To the Compound, more specifically.

They weren't going to stay there permanently, just until they were able to find a place to settle and set up houses for everyone to live in. Meaning for a few months... the Compound was at maximum occupancy and completely full of life.

And Peter had to admit, things got a little awkward after that - for him at least. He knew that Thor would return one day, which was fine! Peter had always wanted to meet the golden man! It was that Loki had come back with him that put Peter on edge... Thor claimed that Loki was a changed man, much better than what he was before and that people could trust him now. Peter wanted to believe him... He wanted to go over and greet Loki like the rest of them were doing. But instead he stayed in the back of the room and slipped out the door once introductions were over.

A month ago, Peter would have been so excited to meet the two of them. He was such a big fan of Thor, and anyone could see Loki's charm even from a distance! Being friends with them would be... awesome.

But he knew the truth about his family's involvement with Loki and he just couldn't face that right now. He would rather take on Flash and the Vulture within the same hour than this.

A part of him wondered if the two alien gods knew about him... If they did, they certainly didn't care- No, no; he couldn't push that on them! They were amazing and nice and probably didn't know.

And they wouldn't know. Peter would make sure that they never found out. If anyone knew the truth, it would create so many problems and probably a lot of arguments and fighting and Peter really didn't want to be the cause for another break in the Avengers.

"You're that spider-child," A smooth voice said from behind him, causing Peter to jump. He spun around to see Loki standing there, a small smirk as he looked Peter up and down. "I have to say, I almost didn't recognize you without the suit. Was that one of Stark's designs?"

Opening and closing his mouth for a second longer than he was proud of, Peter cleared his throat and shook his head. "Yes- no! I mean, kinda? I came up with the original design, he just... improved it."

Loki nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing a fraction. "I see... Do you know what else I see?"

Peter gulped, not trusting his voice as he shook his head.

"I see you, child." Loki leaned closer, "You're always watching Thor and I with a very strange look, one I would almost name guilt. But that can't be, what would you have to be guilty over that involved us?"

This wasn't good... This was definitely not good. Peter's heart was beating too fast, he couldn't think. What was he supposed to say to that? There was nothing to say! The gig was up; Loki knew! Of course he knew! Only an idiot wouldn't know! Peter was the idiot for thinking that Loki wouldn't figure it out!

"Brother, there you are!" A rough but happy voice called from down the hall, Thor smiling brightly as he walked over. "Ah, I see you've found young Peter! Great!"

They both knew. Oh dear God they both knew!

"H-hi..." He almost cursed as his voice cracked; he was supposed to be out of puberty!

Thor seemed more amused by it though, his smile growing even larger. "Stark asked us to find you, there is a mission he wants you to take part in."

Almost immediately, Peter's eyes brightened as his back straightened from a hunch he hadn't realized he'd gone in. "Really? That's awesome! Thanks, Mr. God-Thor, sir!"

As he ran to find Mr. Stark, Peter heard Thor commenting to Loki about how nice he was and that Loki shouldn't try to scare him. It made Peter feel slightly bad about avoiding them for so long... Maybe he could be friend with them?

And he tried; Peter really tried to be friends with them. Thor was easy enough to get along with, just give the man food and he would consider you his friend for life. But things were still tense with Loki... Both of them had their guards' way up around each other, and Peter could honestly say he wasn't surprised about that at all.

But then one night, Peter was stuck in a dream - a nightmare. Try as he might, he couldn't wake himself up. It was horrifying and painful and Peter needed to wake up, he needed to know that it was a dream and that his friends were still alive! He needed to know that they were alive and he hadn't killed them! But he couldn't.

It took what seemed to be forever to break free of the dream's icy grip, leaving Peter gasping for air and clutching at his freezing chest. His breath came out in white puffs in front of his face, which was strange... Until he looked around his room and saw the ice that covered the floor and walls, frost all over his bed.

Terrified of bringing that dream into real life, he threw his blanket off and got out of bed as quickly as he could - making sure to avoid looking at himself in the mirror as he went to his door.

He tried to control his heavy breaths as he made his way into the kitchen, confident that it was early enough in the morning that no one else would be going there any time soon. If Peter got something to drink - something warm, like hot chocolate - then he should calm down.

Just as he entered the dark kitchen, Peter stopped short and looked around with furrowed brows. Someone else was in here-

"Holy shi-!" Peter jumped and nearly stuck to the side of the fridge when he saw Loki standing next to the stove, slowly stirring something in a cup.

"Careful, you will call Rogers in here with that kind of language," Loki chuckled as the boy slowly relaxed.

Taking a deep breath to try and calm his racing heart, Peter muttered, "That's the last thing I need right now..."

Loki raised an eyebrow at him, tilting his head slightly, "Shouldn't you be asleep, child? Correct me if I'm wrong - I've only been here a week after all - but I don't believe it's normal for you to be sneaking through the Compound..."

Peter stiffed slightly but sent a weak glare to the man, "I'm not a child, I'm fifteen. And I wasn't sneaking, I was just... I don't want anyone to know I'm awake right now."

Taking a sip of what was in the cup, Loki chuckled. "Whatever you say..."

An awkward silence fell over them for a while as Peter shuffled his feet, staring at the floor or wall or anywhere that wasn't in Loki's direction. He should probably have thought of something to say, they were both awake at this time and alone so this might be Peter's only chance to have an actual conversation with the man...

But then Loki placed his spoon in the sink and started walking out the other door, the chance for conversation quickly leaving with him.

"U-Um, wait...!" Peter called, taking a step forward. He soon cursed himself though because he didn't have anything to continue with... Loki stopped though and looked at him expectantly, making Peter blurt out the first thing that came to him - which unfortunately was his dream. "Have you ever been scared of yourself? Uh, I mean... Have you ever wondered if maybe you could hurt someone you care about when you really don't want to? I know that seems stupid, how could you hurt someone if you don't want to? But that's possible right? Have you ever... Ah, never mind, forget I said anything. That's a stupid question."

Peter rushed to the stove after pulling the milk carton out of the fridge, his eyes focused solely on his work as he tried his best to ignore the stare of Loki as he poured milk into a pot and placed it on the burner.

Loki watched the child with a very confused but interested expression. Of all the people to ask that question to, he asked Loki. Was he just reaching out to find comfort from a bad dream, or really wanting to talk, Loki couldn't say for sure... But something about it made him stay.

"It's possible," Loki said quietly, causing Peter to turn back to him with wide eyes. "You can hurt those you care about if you aren't careful, it happens all the time."

"I see..." Peter looked down at the stove. "I really don't want to hurt anyone though..."

Loki took a breath as he slowly nodded, "One can't always help themselves. But there are ways to prevent it."

Peter looked up, his eyes hopeful, "Really? What are they?"

"Finish your drink and meet me in the sitting room, then I will tell you."

A small smile made its way onto Peter's face as he nodded, turning back to finish making the hot chocolate as Loki left. His hands were shaking slightly as he poured the heated milk into a mug, he didn't know if it was from the nightmare or excitement of talking with Loki... He was going to say excitement though; it was a much better feeling than the leftover traces of fear.

Once he had finished mixing his drink, he went into the living room where Loki was sitting, a single lamp turned on and a book in his hand as he drank what Peter assumed was tea. He looked so cool... Perfect hair in a designer suit, holding a book with one hand with the light illuminating him just in the right places. Peter was honestly jealous.

The book disappeared in a flash as Loki looked up at him, nodding slightly to the seat across from him. Peter rushed in carefully, trying his best not to spill his hot chocolate as he took the chair Loki indicated.

He was almost embarrassed by how eager he was to talk with Loki, but he was able to ignore that embarrassment as soon as Loki started talking. Peter had always expected Loki to be wise and kinda all-knowing, but he was surprised to find how gentle and understanding he was as well.

Loki had figured out it was a nightmare that set Peter on edge and admitted to having ones like that as well; while neither of them wished to give details of their vivid dreams, they both formed a slight bond over the knowledge that they weren't alone. It was comforting in a way that Peter didn't think possible.

And when Peter had that same dream and woke up with his room frosted again the next night, he went to the kitchen to find Loki already there and with two cups of warm drinks for them and another night of talking in the living room.

It was pleasantly surprising to witness this side of Loki... Peter had grown up hearing only the bad about him; how Loki was evil for what he did in New York, or that he was a cold-hearted trickster that didn't care for anyone... Peter was willing to bet none of those people would ever expect the alien god to make hot chocolate and listen to a teenage boy ramble about his problems.

It felt good to talk with him as well. Loki was an amazing listener and would occasionally ask a follow up question afterward. It caused a strange sense of pride to swell in him, because Peter had witnessed Loki cutting off Thor and Mr. Stark multiple times in the past, but he never stopped Peter from talking. It was like he had special privileges!

And when Peter returned the following weekend, he was worried that things would have gone back to the way before... But Loki greeted him with a small smirk as everyone gathered in the living room for movie night.

Their bond grew even more after that, much to Peter's excitement. He had run into Loki while on patrol one night and the man had decided to join him in stopping a bank robbery. Afterward, more often than not, Loki was with Peter on patrols.

They became personal therapists for each other; Loki had quite a bit of trouble when it came to dealing with whiny humans that he couldn't stab and Peter would help him control his anger - or help him take it out on random object in abandoned buildings. In turn, whenever Peter was troubled or upset, Loki was there to listen and offer advice in the best way he could - which normally involved stabbing Flash or pranking someone with a knife... Peter still had much to do in teaching Loki about what was acceptable behavior for humans.

The Avengers even noticed the growing bond between the two and - with much persuasion on Tony - let the two of them go on a mission together in Brazil to retrieve an alien artifact from a temple.

"This is gonna be awesome...!" Peter said as the two of them boarded the Quin Jet.

Loki chuckled quietly at his enthusiasm as he went to the cockpit, "As long as the temple guardians don't kill us, sure."

Peter paused for a second, blinking a few times as he tried to process that. "Temple guardians?"

"Of course, don't your temples here have guards around them?"

Peter thought about it and frowned slightly, "Probably... Aw man, we're going to be stealing from them, then?"

"It's for the best," Loki smirked as he powered the jet, beginning to fly off. "A human wouldn't be able to resist the power contained in this artifact, and their minds would crumble if they tried to wield it. So by robbing them, we are saving them."

The boy couldn't argue with that logic as he dropped into one of the seats. He really didn't want to steal from these people, but he didn't want anyone to get hurt when he could prevent it. So the good he was doing was going to cancel out the bad.

Sneaking a glance over at Loki as he hit buttons on the dash, Peter smiled a bit. He was bouncing with excitement when the others told him about this mission, and they passed it off as the boy simply being happy to leave the country again... But Peter was even happier to be doing this with Loki. Peter had always had a... _connection_ with the man, albeit slightly unwanted in the beginning it was definitely welcomed now. Getting to know more about Loki and spending time with him was so fulfilling in a way that Peter didn't know he needed.

Growing up after the Battle of New York, Peter had only heard bad things about Loki and how he was a menace. After finding out about his family's connection with him, Peter didn't know how to react and felt as if everything was just as much his fault as it was Loki's. But after they started hanging out and getting to know about each other, it was like everything was magically better. All the insults about Loki that Peter felt had been directed at him no longer hurt (though he was prepared to argue with anyone that now said Loki was evil), and his nightmares were gone now as well. He was back to winning in life.

Taking one last glance at Loki, Peter leaned back in his seat and settled in. It was ridiculously early in the morning and they had a somewhat short flight ahead of them, Peter wanted to get just a little more sleep in.

As he closed his eyes, Loki turned back in his chair to look at him. He couldn't quite place it, but there was something about the boy that seemed familiar... Perhaps that was why he decided to trust him so quickly? It was rough at first, sure; it normally took Loki much longer before he decided to spend so much time with a person. He grew up with Thor and could barely stand him for more than an hour, for heaven's sake! Not to mention letting this child talk on and on about his life and the smallest of things...! Absolutely unheard of.

But strangely enough, he didn't hate it. He actually found his time with Peter quite enjoyable.

The flight had taken a little less than an hour, Loki calling to Peter as they started their descent into a clearing. The boy woke up with a jump, nearly causing Loki to laugh.

"I'm awake!"

"Good, we will be landing shortly so I suggest you collect yourself and get ready. We have to walk a ways to reach the temple."

Peter nodded as he hopped in place, stretching a bit. He was one of the few people on Earth blessed with the ability to wake up energized and in a good mood, and he would fully take advantage of that.

Once the doors to the jet were opened though, Peter was hit with a wave of sensory overload. While the inside of the jet was normally quiet and dark, outside in the Brazilian forest was the complete opposite. The sun was already high and bright despite the early time of morning; bugs, birds, and animals galore were screaming out the songs of their people and Peter was fairly certain he heard a waterfall nearby as well, and the smells... Oh God the millions of smells...

"Peter?"

Shaking his head slightly, Peter looked over to Loki; the man had an eyebrow raised as he waited on the ground for Peter to join him.

"Yeah, sorry! I'm coming!" Tugging his mask on, Peter jumped off the ramp and started walking ahead. He was so glad that Mr. Stark had added some built-in precautions for his mask, or he would be in so much trouble right now...

Looking around as they walked, Peter took in the muffled sounds of the wildlife. It was so much different than what he heard in the city, even when he went to the zoo once on a field trip! It was peaceful, calming... Well, calming until something set his spidey-sense off and he was sent on full alert.

"Something wrong?" Loki asked, an eyebrow raised as he watched Peter nervously shuffle forward.

"Uh... Maybe? Something bad is around here but I can't tell what it is."

Loki glanced around, his eyes carefully scanning across the area. He lingered on a particularly large bush, then moved on ahead. "It was probably a snake in a tree, nothing to worry about."

Peter felt like he was missing out on something, glancing at the bush that Loki was staring at for a second before realizing that the man was walking away without him. "Hey, Loki! Wait up!"

It wasn't a long walk to the temple but Peter was still getting the feeling that something was wrong, that feeling in the back of his neck annoying him to no end and making him jump at every little thing. When they arrived at the temple though, Peter's awe soon blocked out any danger warnings.

It was like they had just walked into part of El Dorado... The temple was extremely advanced for how old it was, but what captivated Peter was that it seemed to be made of pure gold. Every surface of it - even the pathway leading to it - was golden and shining in the sun.

"This is a Sovereign temple..." Loki commented, looking around with a slightly interested expression. "I wasn't aware they had ever come to Earth. They don't normally associate themselves with beings who they believe are lower than them, especially considering the time this was built."

Peter nodded along as he took everything in with a wide smile - that quickly dropped when he saw the stairs.

"This is an advanced alien temple; couldn't they have put an elevator in or something?"

Loki chuckled as he began to climb them, "I'm surprised they even put stairs for us."

Peter groaned as he reluctantly started climbing as well, muttering under his breath the whole way. The climb didn't really bother him; he wasn't even winded when they reached the top. It was really just the idea of climbing... Probably a human thing.

The inside of the temple was much like the outside, completely gold and absolutely stunning. There were many different paths leading in various directions that Peter knew would leave him hopelessly lost if Loki wasn't here - assuming that Loki knew where to go.

"Since this is a Sovereign temple," Loki started, taking the second path to the left, "the artifact we're looking for is most likely the Anulax Batteries."

Peter blinked at the man, his head tilting slightly. "Wait... We flew all the way to the middle of Brazil for a battery?"

"Powerful batteries, it's what keeps their planet alive."

"A battery that- Never mind." Peter chuckled, shaking his head.

They kept walking for a while; taking different turns now and then that Peter wasn't entirely convinced were planned. Everything seemed random... But this was Loki, and if Peter had learned anything in the short time he knew the man, there was nothing random about him.

Now that he thought about it, it was honestly strange how quickly the two of them bonded. It had basically happened overnight... They were wary of each other all day, then suddenly they were listening to each other's problems that night. How was that even possible? Becoming this close with someone was supposed to take time, wasn't it? It took them only a few weeks to become nearly inseparable!

Peter couldn't help but wonder if their bond grew so quickly because of his family's connection with the alien god... It was a possibility. After all, Loki still didn't get alone with Mr. Stark and the other Avengers - even Thor sometimes! It gave Peter hope that maybe - just maybe - he would be able to tell Loki.

Loki's back suddenly filled Peter's vision, causing the boy to stop abruptly before he ran into Loki. Leaning to the side slightly, Peter saw they had come into a large dome-like room with a pedestal in the exact middle of it. On the pedestal was a round... thing... with golden glowing things around it.

"Is that the battery?"

"Batteries; each glowing cylinder is a battery," Loki informed him, Peter nodding along. "This is a small amount, normally there are a lot more. It's understandable though - they're powering a temple, not a planet."

They started walking to the batteries, Peter much slower than Loki as he looked around. That bad feeling he was ignoring since seeing the temple was back with a vengeance, putting him on edge as he crept closer to Loki.

"Hey, I think something-"

"_Ah_...!"

Peter quickly turned around to see Loki holding his shoulder, smoke rising from the area as the sickening smell of burnt skin filled the air. "Loki!"

"Don't-!" Loki held out his good arm, shaking his head just before a laser blast from the ceiling hit him dead in the back. Peter's eyes widened as he watched Loki's body fall to the ground, disbelief clear on his face as he took a small step forward and tugged his mask off.

"Crimes against us are worthy of death," A voice announced from behind him, Peter wheeling around to see two men that matched the walls with their golden ...everything. "He was stealing our batteries, so he had to die."

"We didn't know you would be here though! We thought that humans would try and steal them! If you would have just asked before attacking-"

"If you would have asked before stealing, your friend might still be alive."

Peter looked back at Loki's motionless form, his chest turning cold as his breathing started to go erratic. Loki couldn't be dead... There was absolutely no way that Loki was dead. He was just knocked out, and the golden people thought he was dead. That had to be it!

"You..." One of them started, though Peter didn't bother to look back at them. "You aren't human... Not fully. Ah, I see now why you are so attached to him. Your human half is in mourning. Fear not, you will be joining him soon; just like the rest of your kind on this planet."

The quiet hum of the ceiling lasers alerted Peter to them powering up, but his eyes were still on Loki, quietly begging him to get up.

"So that's your plan," A familiar voice announced, catching everyone's attention. They all turned to see Loki standing behind the men with a smirk - and holding the batteries. "You plan to kill off all the humans? For what? This planet hardly suits your needs, there's no way you would inhabit it. So why do you want to kill the humans?"

"It does not concern you, Asgardian."

The humming of the laser became louder, Peter started panicking as the cold in his chest grew harsher. "Loki...!" He called as the gold beam fired at the man, who disappeared in a flash of green and reappeared a few feet in front of Peter.

Loki felt a small hint of concern for Peter and wanted to wrap this fight up quickly. He heard the way the Sovereign had mentioned him not being human (which somewhat made sense, Peter had enhanced abilities that could confuse them), but since the boy saw his illusion of being dead, he was growing paler and more stiff. If the Sovereign tried to attack Peter at this time, the boy wouldn't be able to defend himself properly.

He watched with dark eyes and a wicked smirk as one of the men in front of him pulled out a gun. This would be over with quickly.

"Stop!" Peter yelled from behind him, a strangely familiar cracking sound following the voice and startling all three men. As Loki turned to see what it was, his eyes widened as he barely got out of the way of an ice blast. He watched as the ice crossed the ground and surrounded their opponents, encasing them in a frozen prison. Eyes still wide, Loki looked back to search for where the attack came from. But Loki stopped short as he took in Peter's appearance.

While he was still wearing his Spider-Man suit, his face was fully visible and showing the blue skin and red eyes that Peter should definitely not have... Blue markings a shade or two darker than his skin tone lined Peter's cheeks, forehead, and chin; forming designs and meanings that Loki knew a Midgardian would never understand.

"Peter...?" Loki's brows furrowed as he took a step closer, the boy jumping back and shaking his head.

"N-no! Stop, don't come any closer!" Peter's eyes were wide and breathing uneven, he was too close to a full panic as he slowly backed further away and stared at his hands.

"What is happening, child? Why are you...?" Loki left the question open, ignoring Peter's plea and taking another step to him.

"I said _stop_!" Peter threw his hands out in front of him, a wave of ice spears hurling towards Loki. The man hesitated slightly, but didn't need to do anything as the ice exploded before even reaching him. He looked up to see Peter's horrified expression as his feet shuffled back.

"Peter..." The Anulax Batteries disappeared in a flash of green light as Loki held his hands out, taking another slow step to the boy. "Calm down, child..."

Before he knew it, Peter was running out of the temple as fast as he could, jumping over him and out the door. Loki cursed under his breath as he ran after him.

"Peter! Stop!"

Ice was filling the halls after Peter, the cold surface making the floors dangerously slippery. But Loki didn't have any trouble as he caught up with him, reaching a hand out to grab his arm. Just before he could though, the two of them exited the temple and into the direct sunlight.

Peter yelled out in pain as he felt the sun against his blue skin, Loki quickly grabbing him and tugging him back into the shade of the temple.

"Take a deep breath," The man instructed, holding Peter's chin in his grasp as he brushed a thumb along the slightly burnt skin on his cheek. "Just breathe, it'll go away soon."

"No, it won't...!" Peter shook his head and pulled away, leaning against the wall and sliding down to the ground. "No matter what I do, it always comes back! Every time I try to go to sleep or panic or just when I'm upset, I end up like this and I almost hurt May at first! It's only a matter of time until I do hurt someone really badly! I'm dangerous! I'm - "

"Quiet." Almost as if those were the magic words, Peter stopped talking and looked up at the man. Loki's arms were crossed as he gazed down at Peter with an unreadable expression that nearly made him look away again. "You're part Frost Giant..."

Nodding slowly, Peter let his eyes drift.

Loki's eyes scanned his face, reading the blue markings as his own heart seemed to beat faster with each line. "Peter... How old are you?"

It was quiet for a while, Loki almost about to ask again when the boy finally spoke. "Fifteen."

Flashbacks of Loki's first time on Midgard ran through his head, a night he had long buried in his memories coming back to him. A low groan left him as he leaned against the wall opposite from Peter and placed a hand on his forehead. "You knew... That's why you were always watching Thor and I at first. Why didn't you tell me?"

"How was I supposed to do that? Just go up to you that first day you came to Earth and go 'hey, dad! I'm the son you didn't know existed, good to finally meet you!'? Yeah, that would have worked out really well..."

"No...! But afterward-"

"I was scared!" Peter's voice broke as he hugged his knees to his chest. "I was scared... I wanted to tell you, but what if you didn't want me? What happens when you leave with Mr. Thor and the rest of the Asgardians to your new town? What if you thought it was just a joke and didn't want to be friends anymore?

"All my life, I thought I was human; I thought I was normal. Then May and Ben freaked out when you showed up in New York because they thought you were there for me, and everyone started saying how horrible you were, and I grew up thinking you were a bad person... But then I blew up the apartment one day; I was stressed and got into an argument with May and - and I don't know what happened. I started feeling cold and weird and then next thing I knew ice was coming out of me...! I looked up and there was this huge icicle in the wall right next to May's head... I completely destroyed my room. It took so long for her to calm me down, but she finally told me about you and my mom.

"Suddenly, every insult directed at you in school was also directed at me. We didn't know why you came to New York except to tear the city apart. I thought you could have been looking for me, that I was the reason so many people died... I thought I was a monster." His voice cracked again as he shook his head, fighting off the tears.

"But then Thor showed up and said that you were different now; that New York wasn't your fault and you were being controlled by someone else then. He said you had changed... I wanted to believe that you were good; I wanted to talk with you and maybe hope that you would know about me. But you had no reaction to me. There were so many times I thought you would say something... So many times... But it never happened.

"And then I had that nightmare at the Compound; I had killed everyone, froze them all and left their bodies in a huge pile. They called me a monster... When I woke up, my room was frozen. That's why I went to the kitchen - I needed to get out of there, I needed to know I wasn't a monster. And you helped me with that...! We started talking and getting closer and I was so happy...! I knew then that you had no idea who I was, and I was okay with that. I was okay with just being your annoying younger friend.

"But now you know... and everything is going to change. And I don't know how I feel about that. I liked being friends with you and hanging out and showing you Earth food and stopping bad guys and-"

"Peter," Loki interrupted, taking a deep breath. He was silent the whole time Peter spoke, taking in each word carefully and processing it slowly. It all made sense now, why he had bonded with the child so quickly. But he would be lying if he said he wasn't angry. "Listen to me carefully, child, I will only say this once: your heritage does not define who you are. I am a monster - don't deny it. I have attempted to kill Thor long before I was under the influence that lead to New York. But you, Peter, are no monster. You are more pure and righteous than that oaf, Thor - not an easy task. You are dangerous only because you are untrained, which can easily be fixed.

"You are correct, I had no idea you existed. But that does not give you the excuse to shoulder accusations that were meant for me. Unless they directly say your name, those insults are not meant for you - and if they did include your name, I will kill them.

"And you are right to think that things will change, but not by much. You... are my child, meaning that your welfare is now my responsibility. I will teach you how to control your abilities so that this won't happen again."

"But you're going to be leaving soon-"

"Nonsense," Loki waved his hand dismissively as he stood up straight, "I can come and go as I please, just because I arrived with Thor does not mean I am tied to him by the hip. Gaining control of your powers is much more important. I would also like to speak with your aunt as well... I have met her before; I wish to know why she didn't tell me about this herself."

A small smirk was on his face as he looked down at Peter, offering a hand to him. "Come along, we have a lot of work to do."

Peter stared at him for a second, his eyes moving from Loki's face to his hand. A smile started growing as he grabbed Loki's hand and let himself be pulled to his feet.

While the process was horrifying and embarrassing, it felt good to have this secret off of his chest. And Loki seemed happy to know as well, so it was truly a win-win.

**A/N: I have honestly never thought of this idea before... In the entire year I've been writing for Loki and Peter, it never crossed my mind to do a biological family pairing between them. And I hate myself for it. I love this idea so much! Thank you for giving me this request! I honestly want to write a longer story with this, making a better timeline and having multiple chapters and all of that!**

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"Thor," Loki called, walking into the large man's room, "I have someone I want you to meet."

Thor, who was sitting on his bed with a game controller aimed at his TV, looked up and stopped whatever ridiculous game he was playing with a smirk. "Has my brother finally found himself someone?"

Loki simply chuckled as he motioned to the door, Peter soon stepping into view. Thor blinked before squinting his eyes, glancing between the two of them. "I don't understand... That's-"

"Peter Lokison," Loki smirked, placing a hand on Peter's shoulders, "My child."

Thor's face went expressionless for a second, simply staring at the two for a long while. Peter started fidgeting as he glanced up at Loki, "I think we broke him..."

"Give it a second."

Sure enough, Thor was soon moving again, taking a deep breath as he stood up. "_Loki_..."

"We should run now," Loki chuckled as he quickly pushed Peter out the room, following close behind him as Thor's thunderous footsteps were heard coming after them.

The two started laughing as they ran, Thor yelling at Loki for being reckless and hiding his nephew from him. Peter had to admit, it was going to be interesting being related to these two...

But he wouldn't give it up for anything.


	2. Who's the Father?

**A/N: This is a short drabble I wrote within the hour while I'm on a short break from my homework... Everyone wanted to see what happened after Loki announced Peter as his son, so here it is!**

"_Loki_...!" Thor's thunderous yell rang out, catching the attention of many of the Avengers within range of the facility. The trickster had just come back from a mission with Peter not ten minutes ago, what kind of trouble could he have gotten into already?

The sound of running feet paired with almost childish laughter pulled Tony from his upgrading work with a sigh, pushing away the roomba and heaving himself off the sofa to see what the commotion was about. It had to be something interesting if it had gotten Thor so worked up...

"Friday, where are they headed?"

"_To this room actually, sir_." The AI responded with a light voice, "_I would stand clear of the door if I were you_."

Tony spun on his heel with a nod, going to the opposite side of the room just as the doors were swung open, the Loki and Peter crashing through with Thor right behind them. Tony felt his eyebrows raise at the protective hand Loki had on the boy's back as they maneuvered around the room.

"Now, Thor," Loki chuckled, his other hand being held out in what seemed to be a placating way, "There is no reason to be so angry about it, you'll make me regret telling you."

"How long were you going to hide this from me?" Thor marched forward, Loki's outstretched hand doing nothing to help as a heavy hand on his black suit. "How could this even have happened?"

Loki's eyes narrowed slightly, his smirk growing as he tilted his head slightly, "Surely you know how procreation works by now, brother."

That definitely caught Tony's attention, blinking as his eyebrows pushed together in confusion. "Excuse me, hi, if you're going to have loud conversations about procreation, it would be very nice to inform the audience about what or who was procreated."

Thor's eyes snapped to Tony, a new fire in his eyes as he marched over and grabbed the smaller man by his shoulders, "Why did you not tell me? Are we not friends? Do friends not share these things?"

Sending a confused glance around the room, Tony noticed that Loki was struggling to hold back his laughter as Peter looked somewhat embarrassed but just as confused... That didn't mean anything well for him. "You're gonna have to be a bit more specific than that, Point Break."

"You and Loki...! You have shared a bed and created a child!"

Peter, from his spot behind Loki, did a double take so hard he was scared he had whiplash. It occurred to him then that Thor was under the impression that Tony was his dad, like many of the Avengers did at first. But his thoughts hadn't been changed with the newfound knowledge of Loki, just added to...

Tony, for his part, made a sound that was an awful lot like choking. Tony's mouth opened as he took a step back, pointing a finger at Thor, then to Loki - who finally failed at hiding his laughter. He looked almost offended at the suggestion, his furrowed brows causing a chuckle to escape Peter as well.

It was that moment that a few of the other Avengers decided to come in; Captain America, Sam, Natasha, and Dr. Banner all with very curious expressions.

"Alright," Tony finally took a deep breath placed a hand on his hip, "Who has been spreading rumors around this time? Where's Clint? He's not here, that means he's guilty!"

"It's not a rumor! Loki told me about it!"

All eyes were on the trickster and Peter then, Loki muttering a quiet _'damn'_ beneath his breath.

"...I should have known better, that's on me," Tony crossed his arms, "You have good tastes, and it's not that I'm not flattered, but I just want to know why."

Loki chuckled and shook his head slightly, looking towards the ground with a smirk. "I did not say anything about _us_, actually. Thor is just being incompetent as usual and jumping to conclusions."

"No," Thor frowned, "Stark, your son-"

"My _what_?" Tony's brows rose again, Peter's embarrassed blush intensifying at the quick look that the man shot him.

"Young Peter!"

"You think- Peter is- That he's my-" Tony took a deep breath in, running a hand through his hair and shaking his head. "Let's clear this up now, Peter's not my son. I'm his extremely cool mentor and the one that helps build his suits and what he needs, funding a large portion of his life, but someone call Maury because I am _not_ the father."

Peter glanced around the room, seeing the others with slightly shocked or disappointed expressions because they had also believed the two were related; but before anyone could say anything else on Tony's matter, Loki let out a light laugh and drew the attention back to him.

"Of course you're not; I am."

Everything went silent for a while, Peter's enhanced hearing telling him that a few of the Avengers had even stopped breathing while their minds processed the information that was suddenly dumped on them.

"Whoa," Sam stepped forward, holding his hands up, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait just a damn minute now... What the hell does that mean? Loki is the kid's dad? Am I missing something? Is this a prank? It's a little early for April Fools, don't you think?"

"No prank," Loki's smirk was not very reassuring, "No tricks. Peter is my son."

Once again, everything was silent as the group stared at the supposed father and son. Peter really wanted to run away from the looks of the others, somewhat upset Loki hadn't found an easier way to tell them than to just blurt it out... He himself was still trying to adjust and wrap his mind around the fact that Loki was his dad, and he had known about this for the last few months! He could only imagine the mental torment that must have been happening with the others- Never mind... Peter could suddenly completely understand why Loki would blurt it out like that.

"Peter?" Tony prompted, looking at the quiet boy with a raised brow. Peter ducked his head and gave a sheepish grin and shrug.

"It's true..." Peter ducked his head and gave a sheepish grin and shrug, "He's my dad."

That seemed to solidify everyone's belief, quite a few mouths dropping open at the revelation. They all stood there, glancing at each other with expressions convoying emotions and conversations Peter could easily read.

"So all this time..." Steve started, slowly looking back and forth between the pair, "He's your...? So New York was just...?"

"New York had nothing to do with Peter," Loki's face dropped the smirk, a heavy sigh leaving him. "I had no idea Peter existed then, and I was unaware he was mine until the mission we've just returned from. In fact, I have only known about our relationship for the last three hours. Peter, on the other hand..."

All eyes were directed at Peter as the boy gave a chuckle, "I may have known about it for a few months..."

There was a small uproar from the others that Steve quickly quieted down, directed everyone to take a seat so that Peter could explain things properly to them all. The others had even been called in as well, so to save Peter the trouble of explaining it more than once. Rhodey had laughed for a near full minute when he heard, but soon tampered off when he saw that they weren't laughing with him.

"Oh, hell no..." Rhodey shook his head, immediately going to take a seat. "Loki has a kid... Our kid is Loki's... This is bound to be a good story; I'm probably going to need a drink after this."

"You and me both," Tony chuckled from his laid back position on the sofa.

Once everyone had gathered, Peter began to explain to them all that he knew. He told them about how he had first turned into his Jotun form and nearly killed May, his fears of hurting everyone he loved, his nightmares, how Loki had helped him before knowing about their connection, and ultimately how Loki came to find out about this secret as well. Peter would be lying if he said he wasn't embarrassed at a few of the parts that he was asked to elaborate on, or ashamed when they asked about how he had almost killed May.

While he was somewhat reluctant to explain a few things, Peter understood that they should all know about it. They were his team, and they had a right to know the dangers of being near him while he still didn't have complete control over his abilities. So Peter would just have to put up with his embarrassment for now.

"Wait..." Tony interrupted, sitting up slightly with his hands on his knees to look Peter directly in the eye. "You get your icicle abilities from the Ice Princess, that's understandable. We can all see that. Great. What about your spider abilities? Was your mom a spider, or...?"

All eyes flashed to Natasha for a second, the woman raising an eyebrow at them with a light laugh. "Hang on, you all know that I can't do any of the enhanced stuff the kid can."

Peter laughed a bit as a few members nodded at that, though Tony still didn't look too convinced. "No, I wasn't born with the spider stuff, that all came later.

That perked everyone's interest, Loki even shooting him a look with eyes narrowed in curiosity. If Peter thought telling them about how he discovered his frosty abilities was embarrassing, he really didn't want to tell them about how he had wandered away from a school trip and accidentally been bit by a radioactive spider... That was a story that Peter was not too keen to share...

The boy laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well... You see..."

**A/N: Now, just to be sure that everyone is clear... this is going to be a one shot BOOK. So each new chapter (unless otherwise stated) is going to be a standalone story. I have a few ideas so far; the next chapter will be an alternate way Loki and Peter meet, after that is a chapter with them as father and son, so on and so forth. Updates will be slow, I am a college student that has many writing assignments and zero time... But I'm so glad that so many people are enjoying this story! Thank you all for reading and I hope you'll like what comes next!**


	3. Lokison 2 point 0

**A/N: A reimagined meeting between Peter and Loki for my birthday! I hope you enjoy!**

_"Please seek shelter immediately, this is not a drill. Aliens are attacking Manhattan, I repeat, aliens are attacking Manhattan-"_

"Peter, turn that off!" May's voice called, her stress bringing the pitch up to a point that Peter nearly flinched - but obeyed her nonetheless.

He got up from his place on the sofa and went to watch his aunt stuff as many things into a box as she could, the panic and fear almost causing the tears to escape her wet eyes. He wanted nothing more than to comfort her, to hug her and promise to protect her from any harm; he would be a super hero for her, just like Iron Man! But he couldn't... not now anyway. When he had gone to hug her before, she had snapped at him and told him to pack his room.

But Peter didn't want to move, he had friends here, he liked his school here... Why did they have to move just because of some aliens? Iron Man would save the day-

"Peter!" May's voice caused him to jump, looking at her with wide eyes. "I thought I told you to go pack...! We need to leave soon!"

"But I don't want to go...!" Peter whined, "I want to stay. And what about Uncle Ben? He still hasn't come home yet, we can't leave without him...!"

"We aren't leaving without him, sweetie." May rushed over to him, cupping Peter's face in her shaking hands, "But we need to leave. You won't understand, but we need to."

Peter pouted, but May simply turned him around and patted his back in the direction of his room, "Now go, or I won't take you to that science expo thing next month."

The boy's eyes widened as he turned and quickly started running to his room, but paused in the hall. He couldn't explain it, but he suddenly felt... _something_ pulling him towards the apartment door. It was like a magnet, drawing him in. Peter couldn't stop himself from approaching the door, staring at it with curiosity.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when someone knocked on it, whatever trace over him broken by the noise.

"Ben...!" May cheered, rushing to the door, sending Peter a look as she passed him and threw the barrier open and proceeded to jump at the man on the other side.

Peter would have found it funny had he not been so confused. The man standing on the other side of the door was definitely not Uncle Ben (why May thought the man would knock to enter his own apartment, Peter wouldn't know) and May had realized that almost too late. She was nearly in his arms when she caught herself, backpedaling into the wall so fast she almost tripped over herself.

The man spared her a small glance before looking to Peter, the boy swearing that a shock had gone through him when they met eyes. He had the brightest green eyes that Peter had ever seen, a matching green scarf under his suit jacket. His black hair was slicked back in a way that reminded Peter of the politicians Ben hated... but it looked cool on this man. Everything about this man looked cool.

"You..." May's voice came out breathless, grabbing Peter's arm and pushing him behind her. "What are you doing here...?"

A smirk pulled at the man's face, his head tilting just slightly, "I think you know why, or you wouldn't be hiding him now."

"You can't have him!"

A sigh passed the man's lips, his eyes rolling dramatically. "I'm not going to take him from you, do you really think I'm in any way capable of caring for a child at the moment?" Those green eyes glanced to Peter again, "I just want to meet him."

May stood her ground, but Peter felt the pull towards this man again and stepped out from behind her. She tried to grab him again, but Peter moved just out of her reach and up to the man. His face was straight and serious, the smirk from earlier long gone, but Peter saw something in the man's eyes that chased out any fear he had.

Smiling brightly, Peter held his hand out, "I'm Peter, nice to meet you!"

It was still for a moment, the green eyes scanning over the boy's small frame. But then a smile of his own, much smaller than Peter's, spread across his face as he knelt down and took his hand, "Loki of Asgard... The feeling's mutual."

That was Peter's first and only encounter with his father in his childhood.

Loki had stayed with them for a short time upon Peter's insistence, the two of them getting to know each other before he had to leave again. He didn't tell Peter at the time why he had to leave, but the boy eventually figured it out later when Loki appeared on the news with the Avengers, the anchorman stating that he had been captured by Thor and would be put in prison on Asgard. Peter cried himself to sleep that night.

Two years had passed with no contact from him, but Peter still held onto the belief that Loki was a good man. The world hated him for what he did to New York, but if there was one thing Peter knew in his not-so-simple life, one thing he was sure of, it was that his dad was awesome. No one believed him, and the adults and kids would yell at him if he ever said so aloud, but Peter knew in his heart that his dad was the best.

It wasn't just fascination like May claimed; stating that Peter loved his dad so unconditionally just because he had only met him that once... It wasn't true. Sure, as a child he had stayed up many nights wondering what the man was like. His mother had died when he was too young to remember, unable to tell him about his dad; May and Ben weren't exactly fond of the man and tried to avoid the subject, telling him that Peter would know when he was older. But now Peter knew him...! He even talked with him! That was more than anything he had ever hoped for. And he kept his fingers crossed that one day they would meet again.

Then he was on the morning news again. Dark Elves had tried attacking London, and Loki and Thor were seen working together to stop them from whatever evil plan they had. The two had both risked their lives to save the universe and each other, the various medias suddenly singing Loki's praises.

Peter had stayed home from school that day, waiting by the door in anticipation for a visit. His dad was out of alien prison and back on Earth, surely he would want to visit!

Or not... Peter waited three days before giving up hope on Loki visiting. He was probably busy... He was a hero now and that required a lot of time dedicated to... something else.

Now, at the new age of fourteen, Peter was hoping beyond hope that Loki would come back for him. Thor had been living happily on Earth, so surely Loki would want to visit his brother and son? Did Thor even know that Peter existed? Or was he just a mistake that Loki wanted to keep hidden?

With Peter's new spider-like powers and the death of Uncle Ben combined, the boy felt as if he was slowly unraveling at the seams. May cried almost every night, unknowing to the fact that the reason for her husband's death was in the room next to hers.

Every passing day of seeing May's puffy face in the early morning and hearing her cries at night were pushing Peter to a breaking point he didn't know he had, a coldness filling him more and more each day. And he couldn't escape from it... His hearing wouldn't allow the pillow over his head to block out the noise and his eyes couldn't help but see every little detail on her face - every new wrinkle on her forehead and redness in her eyes or on her cheeks, he wanted to just run away from it all...!

"Peter," May chided, causing the boy to pause on his way out the door, "You have to eat before school."

"I'm not hungry." That was a lie, he was starving. But he didn't want to stay in the small apartment any longer than he had to.

"That's a load of bull and you know it." She slammed a palm against the kitchen counter, the sharp and unexpected noise causing him to flinch. "Peter, tell me what's going on with you. You've been acting strange lately, even before Ben-" She cut herself off, swallowing thickly. "You're not the same and you're getting worse. You need to tell me what's happening."

"I can't; I'm going to be late, May," He adjusted his backpack, quickly walking towards the door. The familiar cold started to seep into him, numbing his fingers that tightly gripped his shoulder strap.

He heard her frustrated sigh and footsteps behind him, but he didn't expect her hand to grab his shoulder and yank him around. His eyes were wide as he stared at her. "Peter-"

"Leave me _alone_!" Tears burned his eyes as he swiped his arm at her, knocking her hand off of him. A wave of cold rushed over and around him, the sound of cracking ice taking over his hearing for a second, leaving him breathless and with a pounding headache.

May's small gasp, her voice hitching in her throat and almost sounding scared, pulled Peter back, his eyes opening (when had they closed?) and elicited a gasp of his own at the sight before him.

The room had a red haze to it that was quickly going away, allowing his perfect vision to see the large ice spikes sticking out of the walls and floor. Their shining edges were sharp and deadly, more than one of them outlining May's figure against the wall. One had gone through the baggy part of her shirt, probably just missing her stomach; another had landed a hair too close to her neck, a thin line of blood starting to form.

He had hurt her. He had hurt May - with his own powers! Granted, he didn't know he had these powers, but who else's could they be? It was his fault, it was always his fault!

"Peter...?" Her quiet voice pulled him from his thoughts once again, awakening him to the fact that he was still there.

He needed to leave. He _really_ needed to leave.

Turning on his heel, he yanked open the door - breaking it off the hinges in the process - and ran out, doing his best to block out his aunt's cries of his name.

**_Lokison_Linebreak_**

"Prince Loki," A guard announced, drawing the attention of the Asgardian nobles, "Heimdall requests your presence at the Bifrost."

Loki's brows furrowed slightly for just a second before standing from the table next to Odin, only one thought in his head for Heimdall's sudden calling. A few of the warriors present hid chuckles, though Loki now knew they meant no harm or ill will towards him. Though even if they did, he was past the point in caring.

He left the room with a half thought excuse tossed over his shoulder as he made the long trip to the Bifrost, his worry for Peter barely contained. It was the only explanation that would warrant this, something must have happened to the boy. Loki didn't know he could feel an emotion like this, never had he before. It might have had something to do with him not checking in on the boy in the last few weeks, each passing day without a visit to Heimdall was another that Loki loathed and the feeling in his chest grew. Before negotiations with the Frost Giants had started to take the Prince's time, the Heimdall had claimed that Loki was worse than Thor when it came to checking on Midgard.

Striding into the domed structure, Loki went to stand next to the man expectantly. "Has something happened?"

"He has not been doing well during your absence," Was the solemn reply, golden eyes not moving from their gaze into the universe. "I fear you may need to take action."

Loki's own eyes widened slightly, his brows pushing together, "It is truly that bad?"

"It would appear that he has inherited your Jotun blood and has nearly just killed his aunt in an outburst, among other things."

"Alright," Taking less than a moment to consider it, Loki nodded once, "I will go."

The dark man nodded in return as he went to power the Bifrost, soon enveloping Loki in the colorful array of lights. He barely had time to think about what he would even say to the boy after all the years that passed, because surely Peter wouldn't open up so easily to a stranger he had met once. He would have to think of something soon though...

Loki landed in the parking lot of an abandoned building, the sounds of cracking ice and faint crying immediately catching his attention. Was Peter truly hurting so much from this? It wasn't as if he didn't know his heritage wasn't completely human for the last four years, he shouldn't have been so shocked, should he?

Briskly walking into the building, following the sounds to find Peter, Loki noticed the hall walls coated in frost that was steadily growing thicker the closer he got. It was fairly obvious that Peter had lost control of his abilities, but to be able to do this much so soon... Loki would have been impressed if his concern for the boy wasn't so prominent.

It was almost laughable, really. Loki, Prince of Asgard, rightful ruler of Jotunheim, was concerned over a child. He hadn't intended to get so attached to the boy, he only wanted to look at him and see what he had unintentionally created on this planet. But the way that Peter had smiled at him, had pulled him into the home and talked with him so carelessly, Loki couldn't help but let the bond of parent and child grow between them. For the two years that he was in prison on Asgard, Peter was all he could think about, and he wanted nothing more to find the boy after he was released. But he couldn't. Loki knew that he couldn't... Peter's life on Midgard did not involve Loki, he was happy without him. And that's what Loki accepted no matter his own feelings. Thor would laugh if he knew...

Holding his shoulders back, Loki straightened himself as he neared the top floor. The frost on the walls had spread to the floor and formed a thick layer of ice, any normal person would have fallen once they step foot onto the sleek surface. Loki, however, was not normal and easily strode across.

Opening the last door on the final floor, Loki found Peter huddled in the furthest corner. The amount of ice encasing the room left a blue haze to everything, thickest around the boy's form, but it did nothing to mask Peter's blue skin-

-Or his red eyes as his head snapped up to look at him.

"Peter," Loki greeted somewhat mutely, carefully taking in the boy's shocked expression as he took another step into the room.

"It's you... You're here..." His voice was soft, barely above a whisper as a flash of something filled his eyes - hope? Peter was hopeful now that Loki was here? The man couldn't understand it, they had met once, Loki was practically a stranger to Peter... Why would he be hopeful at Loki's arrival?

Taking another step forward, that hope left and was replaced by fear. Peter pushed himself further into the corner and shook his head frantically, "S-Stop, you can't come any closer! I might hurt you!"

Loki blinked once before a small chuckle left him, walking forward slowly again. "You're welcomed to try; you aren't the first to threaten me, and by beings far more powerful than you, and even they are hardly able to succeed."

The teasing jab was responded with tears starting to roll down Peter's cheeks, his eyes jumped around the room before looking back up at the man. "I don't understand what's happening... I don't... I- What's happening to me? First the spider and now this? Is something wrong with me? Am I- I don't understand...!"

Loki took a breath as he knelt down in front of him, "Look at me, Peter." Waiting until he had the boy's full attention, Loki let his own illusion fall away to show his true Jotun form. "What's happening to you now is because you're part Jotun, part Frost Giant, like me. This is your heritage. I didn't know that you would lose control like this, I wasn't aware that this was something that control could even be lost over, but I can teach you not to fear it."

The hope in his eyes returned, unfolding himself slightly as he looked up at him. "Really...? I won't hurt anyone if you teach me, right?"

With a nod of his head, Loki held his hand out, "That's correct."

Their eyes were locked for a short while, Peter hesitating slightly before reaching out and placing his small hand into Loki's larger one. As soon as their skins touched, a green flash went over them both and left behind human appearances once more. Peter inspected every part of his arms and hands to make sure that there was no blue left before looking at Loki with a relieved smile.

"It's gone...! That was awesome, how did you do that?"

Loki took in the boy's appearance, his red and puffy tear-stained cheeks but with a small, excited smile dancing across his face. "Years of my mother's teachings... Her tricks have helped me a great deal in the past." Loki's eyes took a faraway look that Peter knew too well before clearing his throat and looking back at the boy, "I can show you how to control all that you're struggling with now, as well as other things. But it will take time and patience..."

"Yes," Peter's answer was instant, his eyes locking with Loki's. "I want to learn, I don't want to be a danger to anyone."

A small smirk pulled at the man's lips as he nodded, "Very well; we shall meet here once a week for your training. I will teach you all that I know, don't expect me to go easy on you."

"I wouldn't dream of it!" Peter grinned wide, his heart racing in his chest as the thought of spending time with this man - learning from him, being near him - filled his head. Growing up, all Peter wanted was to be able to know his parents... Being too young to remember his mother or step dad, May and Ben were all that he could rely on. But now Peter was no longer an orphan! His dad was alive and willing to teach him things that only he knew! Peter had never even hoped to dream of such a thing happening.

It was just bonus points when Loki was revealed to be a surprisingly excellent teacher, explaining things perfectly enough that Peter was able to willingly freeze a small rock in his hand after the second week; though he still had a problem with outbursts and turning blue when using his ice powers, he wasn't as scared of hurting May now.

With each new week, each new meeting, Peter let himself dare to hope; hope that he would finally be able to have a somewhat normal relationship with his dad like the other teens at his school. Peter, at the moment, wouldn't dare call Loki his dad, it was just too weird to even think of - but he had hope.

He had decided not to tell Loki about the spider bite, the man already had his hands full with Peter's frosty abilities, he didn't need to be concerned over Peter's vigilante activities... Which might have been a mistake when _the_ Tony Stark came to his apartment and offered him a spot in an Avengers fight. Peter hated the thought of lying to Loki, but he knew the man wouldn't allow him to go running off to fight with the Avengers... So he made up a story about his school going away for a week - because he knew Loki would suspect something if he used the 'Stark Internship' excuse.

It felt horrible and awful and Peter hated it, he wanted nothing more than to tell Loki what he had done - that he was in his first major fight and actually did a somewhat decent job in it. That he actually managed to steal Captain America's shield! But he knew that he would never be able to... Not anytime soon, anyway.

Because if there was one thing he learned during his training, it was that Loki worried. A lot.

He had tried hiding it, starting Peter's training out hard and pushing him to his limits. Peter honestly felt as if he was dying... And when he lost control during that second week, sending out an ice blast that froze the entire room over, Peter saw the change in his eyes. He saw the concern that slipped through the man's cold mask, realizing that both Loki and Peter himself were pushing his abilities too much. After that, Loki forced him to stop multiple times during one training session, or threatened to randomly drop it to make sure Peter wasn't doing more harm than good. And, Lord... when he discovered that Peter would sometimes skip breakfast to meet with him and train, Loki would give him that _knowing_ look of ice and take him out to eat.

If Loki ever found out that Peter was Spider-Man... a frozen hell would probably break loose.

Smiling to himself, watching as Loki instructed him of how to form his first illusion, Peter wasn't too worried about the future or Spider-Man. Because inside this frozen building, it was just Peter and Loki - not Spider-Man and The Prince of Asgard. There were no titles or worries or anything that could disrupt them. Just a father and son learning their place with each other.

And Peter was more than okay with that.

**A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! Here is my present to you! Since everyone really seemed to like the first Lokison AU, I decided reimagine it and bring in a second meeting for the two! I don't know which version I like more… Probably both of them XD**

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A grunt left Peter as he hit the roof of a building, rolling along the rocky surface until he hit the edge a little too hard for his own liking. Drawing in a shaky breath, he tried to push himself up but that only resulted in a sharp pain in his ribs that he quickly curled in on himself to stop.

Perhaps the Green Goblin was too much of a challenge for him... The idea of calling Mr. Stark for help crossed his mind for a second, but Peter shook it away. He couldn't call for help, he'd seem too weak and then Mr. Stark would never let him do anything again. He defeated the Vulture, the Green Goblin couldn't be that much worse.

That wicked laugh filled the air, Peter's senses going on high alert as he forced himself up through the pain and prepared for the attack.

"_Peter, you have multiple bone fractures throughout your body_," Karen claimed, "_I would suggest calling for medical assistance very soon_."

"Alright," Peter let out a sigh, "But I have to finish this fight first...!"

"_Impact imminent, you should definitely move soon_."

Peter's lenses widened as he quickly spun around, seeing a flash of green and that wicked laugh. It was too close, he couldn't dodge - he closed his eyes and braced for impact.

After a second with no pain and a grunt from the Goblin, Peter peeked out of one eye, seeing the Goblin just in front of him with a hand outstretched to his face. Peter let out a small yelp as he jumped back, only to hit a solid wall behind him that definitely wasn't there before.

As he was starting to turn around, he noticed from the corner of his eye a hand that was tightly gripping the Goblin's arm, a smooth black sleeve covering the pale skin. Peter swallowed thickly as he slowly turned, coming face to face with a very angry Loki.

"What the hell-"

Loki's green eyes hardened at the Green Goblin, his other hand bringing out a dagger that effortlessly cut through his glider before throwing man and machine away to fall out of the sky and to the streets below.

Peter watched, grimacing slightly as the green shape quickly disappeared between the buildings. That wasn't going to mean anything well for him next time...

In a swift movement, the world was suddenly so much brighter as his mask was pulled off his head. A low groan left Peter as he tightly closed his eyes, flinching under the sun and holding a hand up to block it out.

"Peter," Loki's voice was clipped, the boy flinching even more at the amount of restrained emotion that was hiding in it. "Care to tell me what is the meaning of this?"

Doing his best to relax and look up at him, Peter gave a sheepish grin. "Not really, no... Honestly, I'd kinda rather face the Green Goblin again..."

Loki hummed, nodding slightly as a small smirk tugged his lips upward. Peter knew better than to trust that smirk though... If anything, that smirk only meant he was in even more trouble.

"I bet you would... Unfortunately for you, that's not going to happen." Loki's arms crossed, mask still held tightly in his fist. "Now _kindly_ explain to me what just happened."

Yeah... Peter would definitely rather face the Green Goblin again...


	4. Don't Steal from Loki

**A/N: So... slightly following the last AU with this chapter, Loki is regarded as a prince on Asgard, though he spends most of his time on Earth with Peter after they meet. **

Loki let out a slow breath; the cold air making his sigh visible as his eyes closed and a hand ran through his hair. Three times in the same week this crime has been committed right under his nose; three times this week he had to question the others in the camp; three times _this week_ he had to threaten treason and punishment...

He slowly marched to the door of his tent, looking out into the camp and taking a deep breath before calling out, "Who keeps stealing my capes?"

A passing guard stopped, a few other people turning in his direction before resuming their original work. Loki cursed under his breath as he went back into his tent.

It was bad enough that Odin had called him back to Asgard to order him to oversee a war between two races he really didn't care for, but now someone thought it was funny to steal his capes! Just the capes, nothing else! What was the point of that?

Pulling out his last one, Loki quickly attached it and stormed out again. He took a somewhat calming breath before going to the tent next to his, pushing the door flap open. "Peter, it's time to get-"

Pausing briefly to look around the empty space, Loki's brows furrowed as he went back outside. It wasn't often that Peter was awake before him, even rarer for the boy to leave the safety of his tent without Loki nearby. Peter, having grown up on Midgard for most of his life, was not used to the customs of this planet's inhabitants quite yet... Having nearly caused a heinous crime minutes after they had landed with the Asgardian armies, Loki could understand his hesitance.

Glancing around, Loki saw another passing guard and held his hand up to stop him, "You! Have you seen Peter?"

The guard looked to the tents, frowning as he looked back to the prince. "No... I don't believe I saw him return from the banquet hall last night."

Loki dismissed him with a wave, quickly heading to the night chef's tent. Peter had made friends with the man fairly quickly, and now the elder chef kept a close watch over him the few times when Peter would go there by himself. He would know where Peter went.

But he didn't; he said that Peter left the banquet hall early that night because he wasn't feeling well... And with each new person that Loki asked, and each new answer of unknowing, Loki felt worry swelling within him. He should have known better than to let Peter go eat by himself last night, if only he hadn't of been so preoccupied with repairing the battle strategist that the previous commander had screwed up! Peter had even shown hesitance to go alone... His spider sense could have been warning him something was going to happen, but the child was too self sacrificing to voice his concerns!

Obviously something had to have happened, it wasn't like Peter to go wandering off - not on an alien planet... If this were Earth or Asgard, then he wouldn't be so concerned; but it wasn't either planet and Peter could very well die if he said the wrong thing here.

"I knew I should have left him with his aunt," Loki muttered under his breath as he marched through the camp. What had possessed him to think it would be a good idea to take his teenage son with him to a warring planet; especially when that son was as self sacrificing and righteous as Peter was? It was ridiculous and stupid and Loki honestly should have known better.

The day progressed and there was still no sign of Peter, the bubble of worry in Loki's chest slowly turning to fear with each passing hour. As soon as he was found - he _would_ be found - Loki would send him right back to May.

"Prince Loki," Someone called, rushing up to him from behind. Tuning, Loki saw one of the young messenger boys, probably around Peter's age... "We have just gotten word on your son! The Muskox leader has just sent a ransom demand, stating that if you want Prince Peter back alive..." The man swallowed thickly, his eyes flickering around slightly before looking back up at Loki, "Then you must give them all the gold that you carry and... turn your army against the Fremmede people."

Drawing in a deep breath, Loki closed his eyes. It just _had_ to be the Muskox that took him... Peter just had to get kidnapped by one of the most primal and barbaric species on this side of the galaxy. Of _course_...

He honestly should have expected that sooner.

When he opened his eyes again, the already cold temperatures of the camp dropped even lower, a burning rage in his green gaze that no one had seen before - not even when Laufey had threaten to steal Peter. Loki turned toward the mountain range, a wicked smirk playing on his lips.

"Prepare for battle."

***LOKISON*LINE*BREAK***

Screams and battle cries polluted the air, black smoke pillowing into the sky as an omen of evil, mothers herded children to the safe zones so as not to be mistakenly attacked.

Loki ignored it all though, his full concentration on the hairy beast on the floor in front of him.

"Where is Peter?"

"I don't know who that is-" A grunt left the Muskox leader as Loki's foot slammed against his chest, knocking him back to the ground as a dagger was aimed at his throat.

"My son," Loki growled, leaning in closer, "You took him from our camp last night, then sent a letter demanding gold and the death of the Fremmede people. My patience is already thin; trust me when I say that you do not want what's left to shred away as well."

Black eyes narrowed, lips pulling back into a snarl, "If you kill me, you will never see your son again."

They glared at each other, hatred and rage almost palpable in the air between them. Then, with no warning, a blunted ice spear shot out of the ground and sent the Muskox flying.

The large creature crashed through a door, landing on his back against the stone floor. One of his horns caught on a nearby table and pulled it with him, sending the contents of the table crashing to the floor around him. He groaned as he tried to push himself up with his hooves, but the echo of footsteps in the hall made him pause.

Loki appeared in the doorway, his shadow stretching across the room and covering the Muskox leader. "I honestly expected more from you..."

The Muskoxen huffed, glaring at the Asgardian prince as he slowly walked into the room, starting to tug his gloves off as frost emitted from his exposed hand.

"Your city is in ruins, smoke signaling to everyone of your losing battle. Your entire 'army', if that is what it could really be called, is bordering on defeat. You can't possibly hope to -" Loki stopped, one glove still on, catching a glimpse of a cage in the corner of the room. Swaddled in a thick black fabric, only Peter's face was visible, his expression mixed between relieved a scowl, and a pout.

"It took you long enough..."

Loki raised an eyebrow as he looked the boy up and down. "That's my cape. You're wrapped in my cape."

"If this planet wasn't so cold, and it wasn't illegal to actually have some kind of fire for heating purposes," Peter adjusted his grip on the cape, a bit of the green inside showing as he brought it closer to him, "then I wouldn't have had to resort to thievery."

Loki narrowed his eyes slightly before he let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "You look adorable..." Sarcasm dripped from his voice, though could it have been called sarcasm when it was true? Because he did. Peter looked adorable and warm wrapped up the way he did.

A huff drew their attentions back to the Muskoxen, the man having pushed himself to stand on all fours with a bowed head pointed toward the cage. Peter's eyes widened slightly, having seen that stance in way too many cartoons. He shuffled to the back of his cage, his hand outstretched in a futile attempt at peace just as the Muskoxen charged forward with deadly power.

His hooves thundered against the ground, Peter's eyes closing as he braced himself for impact.

A very familiar cracking sound and sudden stillness caused him to open his eyes again though.

"Whoa..." Mere feet in front of him, the Muskox leader was frozen in a solid block of ice. Peter could still see the rage building in his eyes, but he was nowhere near powerful enough to break free.

Loki made his way to Peter's cage, pulling his gloves back on as he looked at the thin metal bars of the cage. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at Peter, "You couldn't have gotten out of this yourself?"

The boy scowled, dropping the cape from around his shoulders to show a large and bulky metal collar around his neck. "I broke out of the wood one they had me in at first, then a glowy person put this on me and said that if it detected any kind of power that it would zap me like the bug I was. I'm freezing, but I don't want to get fried."

A frown marred Loki's face as he easily broke the lock on the cage door, motioning for Peter to crawl out so that he could look at the collar. It was a technology that was too advanced for the Muskoxen or the Fremmede, but for some reason there was a Fremmede that had this and working with the Muskoxen... There was a traitor in the Fremmede.

Loki held back a sigh at the thought of the extra work he would have to do to find the traitor, instead focusing on unlocking the collar from Peter. Anything other than the unlock code would set it off, a very particular annoyance that Loki wasn't fond of.

It took more minutes than either of them would have liked, Peter's jaw clenching to keep from chattering. He never thought he would have wanted to shift into his Frost Giant form so badly before, his human/spider half not being able to handle the low temperatures of this snowy planet. But the glowy people that they were trying to help didn't like the Frost Giant race as a whole and to be seen shifting into that form would have meant instant death.

A small beep and click sounded, announcing that the collar was unlocked; Peter instantly shoved it off of his neck with a look of hatred towards it. Loki chuckled as he stood, offering his hand to help the boy up as well.

"I supposed you'll be wanting this back...?" Peter asked with a sheepish smile as he lifted Loki's cape with his free hand once he was standing. The man eyed the cape, and then the boy before smirking as he took the cloth and wrapping it over Peter's shoulders.

"Not until we return to the camp, it is a long journey back."

Peter beamed, holding the cape close to him again as he followed Loki out of the Muskoxen base.

**Muskox is basically alien musk oxen that can talk and have civilizations. And Fremmede is Norwegian for alien.**

**A/N: Can I just say that I absolutely love the idea of Loki as a diplomat? I think he would honestly be pretty good at it, as long as the other species don't anger him. And Peter going with him on the weekends and holidays? XD I love it!**

**I hope you like this chapter as much as I did writing it! Please remember to leave a review if you did! XD**

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"Peter," Loki called, pushing the flap away from Peter's tent as he entered, "I have something for you."

The boy looked up from his homework, head tilted in curiosity as he put the book away. He stared intently at the two large boxes in Loki's hand, "What is it?"

"See for yourself," Tossing one of the boxes to Peter, Loki smirked and crossed his arms while he waited.

Peter easily caught the box, quickly lifting the lid off of it to see what kind of present Loki could have possibly given to him on a day that didn't hold any significance that Peter was aware of. If there was one thing Peter knew about his father in the few months they had been together, it was that the man was not very affectionate. Though he was slowly changing, Peter didn't think it was drastic enough of a change to go out and buy a present for him when it wasn't a birthday or holiday.

Once the lid was off, Peter pulled up a dark blue and gray leather suit that was very similar to Loki's in design. "Whoa... This looks awesome...! Is it for me?" He looked back to Loki, seeing his smirk soften slightly.

"Of course, I wouldn't have given it to you if it wasn't for you. I do not expect you to change your Spider-Man suit on Earth, but if you decide to join me on other diplomatic missions in the future, you are welcomed to wear it. It will keep you warm, plus," He lifted the other box in the air, "It will go well with your new cape."

Peter's eyes brightened as he reached out for the second box, Loki laughing lightly as the boy almost ripped the lid off to look at the cape. Instead of Loki's signature green, however, it was a deep red inside. It was much smaller than Loki's as well, seeming to be the perfect size for Peter's narrow body so that it wouldn't drag on the ground.

"You are not required to wear it if you don't want to, but-" Loki grunted as a weight slammed into his front, nearly sending him backwards. Peter had launched himself off his bed and latched on to the man, hugging him tightly. It took a moment, but Loki smiled softly and slowly returned the hug.


	5. Domestic

**A/N: I actually had another, much whump-ier chapter that I was working on before this; but after seeing some base images while drawing the other day, I needed to write this XD**

Peter was not having a good day. He was quite possibly experiencing the worst day in the history of ever.

He had gone to bed late the previous night, which was totally his own fault; but he had been expecting to get three hours of sleep... not four. The building's power had gone out sometime after he fell asleep, resetting his and May's alarm clocks so they were both late for school and work. Of course traffic was horrible and the subways crowded, so he missed his first train and had to wait for the next. When he did finally arrive to school, it was in the middle of his third class and the teacher was very unimpressed with him...

He obviously got detention, and Flash absolutely loved that... And while Peter had slowly been standing up for himself against the bully thanks to his dad's coaching, he was in no mood to deal with Flash during lunch. So Peter skipped lunch, just like he did with breakfast, and instead focused on studying for an upcoming quiz. He would probably regret that later, but he currently couldn't care since it was keeping him away from confrontation. Having the confidence he normally did as Spider-Man would have been amazing, honestly... But he was too tired to even attempt such a thing.

He got onto the bad side of three other teachers by nearly falling asleep or zoning out during their lesson, which didn't help him get a confidence boost at all... By the time he got to detention, his stomach was screaming at him for food. He couldn't run to Delmar's fast enough once he was free of that prison...

Except he forgot his wallet at the apartment and there was a new worker there while Mr. Delmar was out sick, and the worker apparently didn't like _something_ about Peter and refused to put the sandwich on his tab...

Peter was already nauseous from lack of food, but he left the store to put his suit on anyway.

An hour into his patrolling, Peter felt like he had made some serious mistakes in life - especially when his vision started going out while he was swinging across the city.

"Karen, I-I think something's wrong...!" Blinking furiously, Peter gained his vision back just in time to shoot another web and dodge a collision with a skyscraper. He swung to the roof of the building, staggering forward until he fell to his knees.

"_What's wrong, Peter_?" The AI asked, "_Your vitals_ _are... slightly unnatural. Should I call for help_?"

"N-no... No, just... I don't know..." Peter held himself up with his hands, staring at the ground as his vision danced in and out of focus. "Don't call anyone, just give me a minute."

"_Understood_."

He tugged off his mask hoping to have some relief, but it didn't help. If anything, without the protection from the mask, he felt even worse. His eyes closed tightly against the sun's brightness, his body feeling unnaturally heavy and slowly pulling him to lay flat against the roof.

Giving in, Peter curled into a ball on the hard surface; feeling slightly better once he was no longer fighting with gravity. But his stomach was still in knots, keeping a constant nausea threatening to bring up what little sustenance he had.

He wasn't sure how long he stayed there, curled up and trying not to die, but he noticed that the sun was starting to set and that he wouldn't be able to stay there any longer... With a heavy sigh, he pushed himself up, his arms shaking dangerously as he tried to get to his feet. His vision blurred and head pounded, but if he concentrated hard enough then he'd be able to travel a little further.

"K-Karen," He started once he had his mask back on, "find the fastest way to Loki's house..."

A map appeared in front of him, a red line weaving around the streets showing him where to go. Taking a deep breath, Peter took a running (fast walking) start off the edge of the building and swinging as best he could down the street.

He figured that he would be able to rest for a while at the house, possibly getting some medicine and food to help out his very weak body. The silence would be nice as well, no cars blaring to worsen his headache; because while Loki owned the house, he didn't live in it. If anything, the man had bought it solely for the purpose of if Peter needed it while on patrol. It was constantly being restocked with food and medicine, there was even a maid that came to clean and change the beds in case one of them needed to crash there for a night or two. Peter couldn't have been more grateful for it in that moment.

Seeing the pale brinks coming into sight, Peter almost let out a sigh of relief as he swung around a back alley. Instead of a sigh though, a groan escaped him as he misjudged his webbing and swung right into the wall. Peeling himself back, Peter climbed up to an unlocked window on the top floor and crawled in.

He unceremoniously dumped himself onto the floor, taking a moment to catch his breath and stare up at the ceiling. Was he still moving? Or was the ceiling moving on its own? He really couldn't tell anymore, all he wanted now was to end the nausea raging inside of him.

His senses went on high alert as he heard footsteps in the hall, forcing himself to sit up and prepare for whoever was coming down the hall. No one should be here, so it had to be a burglar or someone equally bad-

"Peter?" A familiar voice called, the door to the room opening to reveal Loki with eyes narrowed and a single eyebrow raised in question. "Why are you on the floor?"

It was quiet as they stared at each other for a minute, though Peter's mind finally caught up with the fact that he wasn't in danger. He let out a sigh as he flopped back on his back, pulling his mask off.

"It's just you..."

"Should I be offended by that?" Loki crossed his arms, but there was no hostility in him as he took a step into the room and quickly scanned over the boy's body. "You didn't answer me as to why you're on the floor though... Are you injured?"

Peter didn't answer for a while, Loki nearly ready to call Stark for a med-bay, but then he gave what looked like a shrug. "I-I don't know... I don't feel so good... Everything's spinning and I think I'm going to throw up but I also can't move too well... I don't know what's happening..."

Loki frowned, kneeling down next to his son and placing a cool hand on his forehead, "Your temperature is normal... How long have you been feeling like this?"

"After lunch..." Peter's mouth opened like he was going to say something else, but he hesitated for a second before sighing, "I didn't eat though, and I thought that's what it was at first... But it doesn't explain everything else that's happening."

Loki's eyes narrowed, pulling his hand back from Peter's forehead. "Peter, when was the last time you ate?"

The boy didn't dare meet his dad's eyes as he stayed silent, knowing better than to answer such a question after what happened when he skipped just _one_ meal.

"_Peter_..."

He swallowed thickly, "Pizza yesterday with May."

Loki drew in a breath, his head tilting slightly as he closed his eyes. "Yesterday? You haven't eaten since _yesterday_?" Standing up sharply, Loki lifted Peter and began marching them both down to the kitchen, "No wonder you're sick! You have a high metabolism, you can't afford to skip meals!"

Peter somewhat blocked Loki out once they started down the stairs, concentrating more on not throwing up all over his dad's suit- No... Loki was wearing a T-shirt. Loki never wears T-shirts.

"You're... not in a suit?" Peter asked, completely fascinated by the dark green and incredibly soft fabric - too lost in his own thoughts to realize he cut Loki off mid-rant. A deep and slow breath reminded him of the trouble he was in, however, and Peter promptly closed his eyes and pretended to be in more pain than what he was.

"No, I am not in a suit today. I was not expecting company, especially not a sick child."

Peter gave a small chuckle just as Loki put him down on a stool at the kitchen's island; he slumped over at first, but pushed himself up just enough to watch Loki go digging through the pantry.

It was at this point that Peter also took note of the fact that Loki was wearing jeans. Loki was in the most casual of casual clothes and he still managed to look good... Peter felt a small pang of jealousy; why couldn't he get those genes from the man?

Loki turned around just then, placing two nutrition bars on the counter in front of Peter with a simple command. "Eat." He didn't wait for Peter to reply before he left to start rifling through the fridge.

Peter unwrapped the first bar slowly, watching Loki with growing curiosity as the man took the egg carton and various vegetables out and placed them near the stove. His curiosity grew when Loki took down a pan and turned the stove on, surely he wasn't going to- Was he? He was. Could Loki even cook?

"I didn't know you could cook..."

Loki glanced back at him, frowning at the half opened and uneaten bar still in Peter's hands. "It's one of my charms; now eat before I make something you don't like."

Peter pouted as he shoved the chocolate nutrition bar in his mouth, slouching more onto the counter. He might feel like he had no energy and his body had weights connected to it, but he still wanted to talk...

Watching Loki move around the kitchen was very interesting though... This alien god that Peter had only ever seen in a suit or Asgardian clothes was standing before him in a T-shirt and jeans, barefoot, and cooking with near professional precision. It somewhat reminded him of when May made sandwiches for lunch on her days off. It was just so... domestic.

A chuckle escaped him as he looked down, smiling at the thought of the God of Mischief being domesticated. In a way it was true, but it still just seemed so surreal.

Loki must have heard him, the man turning around with the frying pan in hand. An eyebrow was raised at him, eyes half lidded, and an unamused frown completing the most perfect deadpan look anyone could have. "What are you snickering at?"

Peter waved a hand dismissively, "Nothing. I'm just not used to seeing you like this."

The brow arched higher. "Like what?"

"This," He gestured towards him, "You know, domestic."

It was silent between them for a while, both of them just staring at each other. Finally, Loki turned back to the stove, reaching a hand for the spice rack behind the stove. "Just for that, I'm emptying the hot sauce bottle in your omelette."

"No!" Peter laughed, sitting up straighter and reaching a hand out like he could magically stop him. "I'm sorry, I was joking...! I'm sorry!"

Loki glanced back at him, taking in the boy's grin and how happy he seemed (if not slightly worried) and he couldn't help the small smile that threatened to grow on his own face.

Because Peter was right. Loki felt very domestic right that moment, cooking an omelette for his sick son in a human house that he owned while wearing these unflattering but comfortable clothes.

Maybe being domestic wasn't so bad...

**A/N: Quick explanation for Peter calling Loki by his name! In both the scenarios of Peter and Loki meeting, Peter grew up without Loki being around. So he doesn't really feel comfortable calling Loki 'dad' just yet. Because while this is a oneshot book, I like to think that some of these chapters will be connected. So for now, Loki's title of 'dad' will be privileged only to Peter's mind. But don't worry, the chapter for the spoken title will come! I have it planned out already XD I just want them to have a little more bonding before that happens ;)**

**Just to be clear, Peter's sickness is based off my own experience. I have a pretty high metabolism; I can sit around all day and drop a pound or two if I'm not careful. If I skip breakfast **_**and**_** lunch, my body can't decide whether it wants to pass out or throw up. I've gotten much better at taking care of myself (after blacking out for a few seconds in front of a really cute guy) but it's still a pain to deal with.**


	6. Hurt

**A/N: A short chapter to help me get out of college paper writing and back into fictional… The conversations might be a little choppy, I'm so sorry… This is really helping me work through the kinks that report writing had left me with. **

Loki had to admit, buying a house on Earth was probably one of his better investments. He didn't care much for his home being in the city with so many others around, but it was a price he was willing to pay. While the Compound was secluded from the normal humans and many annoyances, Loki's home was a quiet place for him and a select chosen few.

Plus - the Compound was currently inhabitable thanks to an attack and Loki was very thankful that he didn't have to share a small cabin with his brother.

So Loki was very relaxed and enjoying his very rare alone time, soft music playing in the background to block out any noises that might carry through from the street. It was quite healing, if he were to be honest. Multiple members of the Avengers had come dangerously close to being stabbed within the last few weeks, and now he felt refreshed from it all. He could understand why Stark's wife loved her relaxation days so much.

Turning a page in his Shakespearean book, Loki glanced at a nearby clock. Peter should be in the middle of his patrol at this time, which was normally the most active. His suit was programmed to call Loki should the boy need help, but Loki believed that Peter would be fine - even if he was on constant standby.

But as it turned out, Peter hadn't called that night and Loki was blessed with a full day of peace.

Until a window in an upstairs bedroom broke.

Loki's casual clothes disappeared in a flash of green, revealing his black and green Asgardian suit. He went upstairs, a hand ready to produce a dagger should the need arise. He heard the crunch of glass under foot from a spare bedroom at the end of the hall, whispered curses as the person stumbled through the dark room.

He reached a hand forward, about to open the door when it slammed open itself. Loki blinked, his eyes slightly wide as he came face to face with the mask of Spider-Man.

"Peter?"

"Loki!" The boy laughed nervously, glancing around the hall before looking back at the man. "They still haven't fixed the Compound yet, huh...?"

"No... Not for another two weeks. Are you okay?" Loki took a step forward, but frowned when Peter took a step back.

"I'm just fine...!" The way he wavered on his feet, Loki seriously doubted the truth behind Peter's statement. "I just... came by for some snacks, you know? Everywhere good is closed at this hour..."

Loki nodded slowly, crossing his arms as he looked the boy up and down. "Right... And the window?"

"Oh," Peter turned his head to look behind him, seeing the broken glass scattered across the floor. "I um... I miscalculated my webs."

Green eyes once again scanned carefully over the boy's body, taking in the small cuts in the suit and the erratic way Peter's chest rose and fell. It was quite obvious that he was not as fine as he wanted to believe and probably broke into Loki's house in search of getting some bandages... Why his AI wouldn't have called him for help though, Loki couldn't figure out.

"Why don't you take off your mask, Peter?"

"Uh... No, I'm good thanks." He took another step back into the room, starting to turn away. "You know what? I think I'm actually going to call it a night, May probably has something to eat back home. Nice talking with you-"

"Peter," Loki started, his voice even but dangerously low, "remove the mask. Now."

The boy visibly swallowed, hesitating slightly as he wavered on his feet. When Loki took a step closer however, Peter quickly pulled it off.

The sudden light change and quick movement must have been too much for him though, as he soon couldn't hold himself up any longer and dropped to his knees. Peter took a shaky breath in, his hands bracing against the floor as he seemed to be fighting an inner battle - whether or not to throw up if Loki had to guess.

The man quickly moved forward, helping Peter up and onto the guest bed. He waved his hand toward the window, a curtain appearing in a flash of green light before he pushed a small trash can towards Peter. Once he was sure that he was secure and the room was safe from any further harm, Loki quickly went to get a first aid kit.

Very soon after Loki had started to get to know Peter, he discovered almost right away how danger prone the youth was. He was a smaller version of Thor, having to always do the right thing despite what harm may come to him... except for the fact that Thor hardly ever lost a fight and was as badly hurt as Peter always seemed to be. And because of all of these moments that Loki had taken part in of Peter's life, the first aid kit in his house was very extensive. Banner had supplied it himself.

Once Loki had returned to the room, he found Peter laying on his side with a pillow stuffed carefully against his stomach and eyes screwed tightly shut. A slight frown marred Loki's face as he turned the lights on in the room, keeping them dim as to not hurt Peter further.

Placing the kit on the bedside table, Loki stood over Peter as he began to open it. "Tell me what happened, child."

He was met with silence, a sigh threatening to escape Loki as he froze a compress in his hand. "Who hurt you, Peter?"

Slowly blinking his eyes open, Peter glanced up at Loki as best he could. Loki felt his muscles tense in anger at seeing the clear view of his son's bruise eye that was starting to swell. There were cuts and scraps across his face, small trails of blood slowly dripping. The trails on his head and from his mouth were very concerning, but Loki hid those emotions as he gently placed the cold compress again Peter's eye.

"I was just starting to head home..." Peter started, not meeting Loki's intense gaze, "It was pretty quiet tonight, mostly just purse robbers and lost tourists... I was just starting to swing home when something triggered my spidey-sense; I barely had any time to react before something slammed into me from behind... I hit the ground with them still on me... Everything's still really fuzzy," He shook his head lightly, "I can't remember exactly what happened, but it hurt a lot just to get up when they had left... I'm not even sure how I got here, honestly."

Loki nodded slowly, moving Peter's hand to home the compress against his own eye as Loki went to start opening alcohol pads. "Why did your AI not call for help?"

It took a while for Peter to respond, a blank look in his eyes before he shook his head again and blinked a few times rapidly, as if trying to clear his mind. "She didn't...?"

Loki frowned and shook his head, "No. If I had known you were in trouble, I would have come to help."

"Huh..." Peter's eyes drifted again, becoming lost in his own mind.

Until Loki dabbed at a cut on his cheek with the alcohol wipe.

Peter took in a sharp breath, jerking backwards before yelping slightly and wrapping an arm around his ribs. Loki raised an eyebrow before sighing and lowering his hand, "You most likely have injured your ribs..."

"Yeah," Peter let out a weak chuckle as he tried to relax again, "I distinctly remember hearing a couple cracks at one point..."

That peaked Loki's interest, his frown deepening. "You heard your own ribs cracking and yet you were planning to swing back home after realizing I was here?"

Peter's eyes widened slightly, looking up at Loki before glancing away and shaking his head, "Ah, n-no...! I wasn't actually going to leave...! I was just going to... um... you know-"

"Leave."

The boy swallowed thickly as he looked down, deciding it would be best to simply stay silent at this point.

Loki watched his son silently admit his guilt, a part of him wondering where in all the universe could he have gotten a recklessness as strong as this... He was tempted to get a DNA test and make sure that there wasn't a mix-up and Thor was actually the boy's father. But Loki knew better than that... He had seen Peter's Jotun form after all, and he was positive that Thor did not have that. Perhaps the boy's mother? He had not known the woman for long... it was possible that she was reckless, though she didn't seem the type when he had been with her.

Whatever the case was, Loki's child had no sense of self-preservation and it slightly irked and worried Loki at the same time - though he was only irked because he was worried.

Reaching out, Loki grasped Peter chin with a firm but gentle hand, lifting his head up to get a good look at him. He searched Peter's face, looking for anything more serious he might have missed earlier as his mind tried to play cruel tricks on him by imaging what would happen should he ever lose Peter. He pushed those thoughts away, refusing to acknowledge them.

Peter seemed to be doing something similar, his eyes flickering across Loki's face to no doubt look for anger or upcoming discipline.

Loki soon let out a sigh, letting go of the boy's chin and shaking his head softly. "Next time you think of doing something so foolish that could quite possibly get you killed, think about what kind of face your aunt would make when I am forced to tell her of your death."

"I... I'm sorry..."

Looking at him from the corner of his eye, Loki gave a soft smile. "As you should be," He placed his hand on Peter's head and ruffled his hair. "If you don't do it again, you will be forgiven."

Peter grinned and he nodded slightly as Loki lifted the alcohol wipe again. "Good. Let me finish cleaning these wounds and then I will take you to Banner to have your ribs checked."

His brown eyes narrowed warily at the disinfectant, but didn't pull away when it gently swiped at his cuts.

Reckless, but brave, Loki thought with a small smile. Those two words defined Peter to his very core... But as long as he was alive in the end, Loki couldn't really complain.

**If you would like to see my artwork that goes with this chapter, or just fanart of Peter and Loki, you should check out my insta! I made it recently, so there isn't much on it currently, but I'll be posting a lot of the Lokison drawings there - as well as other MCU art! You may even catch a preview of a future chapter! Just some shameless self-promotion, but my user is Karmi_Draws!**

**If you enjoyed the chapter, don't forget to leave a comment!**

While Peter was being taken care of in the safety of Bruce Banner's personal medical room, Loki wandered the dark streets of Queens. He followed a trail only he knew, keeping to the shadows and away from any kind of light source. He could not be spotted now, he wouldn't allow it.

Loud laughter from an abandoned building caught Loki's attention, drawing him closer to it. Making sure that no one was outside to see him, he made his way to a window and glanced inside.

A group of men were sitting around a fire that had been made on the floor, laughing and talking aimlessly about stories that were most likely false in every sense. Loki was about to keep moving forward in his hunt until he heard the next story told by the men.

"I took down Spider-Man all by myself! You shoulda heard the scream come from 'im!" One man laughed, seemingly attempting to drown himself in his drink. Even Thor had more manners than this buffoon when it came to ale. "He had no idea what was comin'! He was my own lil' punchin' bag for a good long time!"

They all laughed louder, some of the others raising their drink in a cheer. As they all went to drink, however, the liquids in their mugs were frozen still inside. A few of them turned their mugs completely upside down, trying to shake the ice block out but with no luck.

"What the hell's goin' on?" One asked, looking to his friends in question.

Ice suddenly crackled around the fire, freezing the flames and plunging the building into complete darkness.

There was a brief flash of green just behind the group before someone yelled out in pain, a sinister laugh echoing against the metal walls.

"So you're the one that hurt my son..." Loki nearly growled, his voice coming from everywhere and nowhere in the darkness. "You will regret that decision for the rest of your short life."

There was another flash of green, barely any time for the criminals to even comprehend what was happening before they were all sent into a world of pain.


	7. Sleepytime

**Warning: Kinda short chapter! I needed an escape from university and this is the result.**

Loki slowly let out a breath, walking evenly but reluctantly down the hall. Thor and Peter had declared they would be working on something during the night, a 'top secret surprise' that only they could know about until it was time to reveal it. Loki and the rest of the Avengers had been kicked out of the family room around ten that night, and Loki had heard them laughing and talking and suspiciously loud bangs even from his room. He dreaded the mess he was sure to find... He wouldn't clean it up for them, but it was still a headache to get Thor to clean up after himself.

Turning the corner in the hall, Loki could already see the mess of pillows and blankets scattered around the room ahead of him. If just the small portion of the room that he could see from the hall was that badly messed, it did not bode well from the rest...

Stepping through the entry way, Loki was indeed correct in his assumption. The two of them had seemingly raided the hall closet and took out all the throw pillows and blankets, deciding to litter the entire room with them - they had even turned a couch over...! His eyes narrowed as he ran a cool hand over his face and pushed his hair back. The duo were nowhere to be seen though... Perhaps they were hiding under one of the blankets?

Glancing around the room, his eyes caught sight of the connected kitchen and the complete chaos it was in - much worse than the family room. Flour was dusted across every surface, almost like snow; something purple was splattered against a cabinet, slowly dripping down onto the counter; dirty dishes were scattered around, white... goo... inside most of the bowls; an empty sprinkler container spilled over on the counter, the confections littering the counter and floor.

Loki took a deep breath, taking in the damage that the two had done together in just one night. Thor he could believe, but Peter? If he didn't know better, he would say that the two of them were biologically related instead...

A loud snore caught his attention, a sigh passing Loki's lips as he walked toward the kitchen, going around the counter to see the two trouble makers passed out on the floor next to the oven. Peter's legs were pulled to his chest, his arms wrapped around to keep them in place. His head was tilted slightly, resting against Thor's shoulder who in turn had an arm draped over Peter. Thor's head was leaning against the cabinets; he would most likely have a creak in his neck once he woke up... And as large as he was, his legs were neatly crossed in front of him.

Loki couldn't help the smile from forming on his face as he turned to the family room and took one of the blankets off of the ground, bringing it back and gently laying it over them.

He watched them for a second longer before leaving to pick up the mess in the family room; perhaps then the others wouldn't be so loud when they started coming in.

Sure enough though, a half hour later Rhodey and Sam walked in while Loki was reading a book at the island counter.

"Hey," Sam smirked, "It's not often we see you out here so early-"

"Shh." Loki sent a glare at them from over his shoulder, not even sorry when seeing their half shocked expressions.

"The hell, man?"

Rolling his eyes, Loki nodded over the counter pointedly, the two humans sharing a confused look before walking around to see what Loki was guarding so protectively. They assumed it had something to do with Peter, but seeing both he and Thor curled up on the floor was not the sight they were expecting.

Rhodey quickly pulled out his phone to take a picture while Sam held a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

But once they had gotten over their shock and had retreated to the sofas for hushed conversation, they were the ones that shh'ed the other Avengers that walked into the room.

Loki hid his smirk behind his book as he looked back over the counter at his brother and son, a part of him... satisfied that they had become so close. It was to be expected with their personalities, but he was still feeling positive about it.

**A/N: I'm not dead! The virus hasn't gotten me yet! I hope everyone else can say the same! I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, some of you are probably bored under quarantine and I wish I could help more... Unfortunately, I do my university work online so nothing has changed for me, and my new professor is a former attorney and incredibly strict and I hate everything about this Criminal Law class... I also had a family member move in with me under an emergency situation, along with her Rottsky (Rottweiler x Husky)... that is not housebroken yet... So I'm adjusting to life with an unexpected roommate and her large dog that doesn't get along with my two jack russells and four cats... Ya'll pray for my survival.**

**Fun fact though! I am able to draw a lot more than write while doing my university work, and I have drawn the scene of Thor and Peter sleeping. It will be posted onto my Instagram later today. For anyone interested in it, or other scene drawings from this story, my user is Karmi_Draws.**

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Thor had to admit, he was enjoying himself as an uncle. It was unexpected and shocking, but now that he knew Peter better, it was a fun experience. The others had tried to tease the two about their bonding moment of creating homemade poptarts and the mess that they had made, but Thor was just to ecstatic to care. He was an uncle - a role model! It was great!

A week had passed since that time of bonding and Thor was eager for another, he even made plans already… He would take Peter to the New Asgard and show him around the town and introduce him to everyone. They could tour the area, and go to festivals, and test each other's strength. It would be amazing.

He just needed to get Loki to agree first...

Walking down the hall, that was exactly what Thor planned to do. He knocked once on Loki's door before opening it, a large grin on his face before faltering. He blinked at the sight before him before his grin faded into a soft smile.

On the small sofa in the corner of Loki's room was his brother, sleeping with his book in his lap. Tucked into Loki's side, however, was Peter. The boy was sandwiched against Loki, head hanging forward slightly though still resting against Loki. The man's book-free hand was gently resting on Peter's shoulder in a very fatherly fashion and similar to what Thor had seen himself doing with Peter the other day.

Quietly backing out of the room, Thor shut the door and continued on his way. He could ask Loki about the next bonding trip later.


	8. Virus

Growing up to the riches of Asgard, the golden city, with intellectual people that studied fighting and art and music and philosophy and many other high regarding topics, Loki could say he was a bit spoiled. Moving to Midgard, to New York City, with Thor was somewhat of a step down on his part. The Avengers Tower was high enough and in a part of the city where he didn't have to see the slums or lower level people, but he still knew they were there...

They were there and living a life he almost had.

So when the offer to have him and Thor stay at the Compound upstate, Loki hesitated for a moment before agreeing. The whole reason he had stayed in the city was for Peter, going out with the boy on patrols or showing up when he had gotten in over his head. Leaving upstate did not mean that their time together would end, Loki could easily get back to the city should the need arise. And Peter did make frequent trips to the Compound to have his suit upgraded by Stark; so it all worked out in the end.

When the Black Widow had first mentioned a virus outbreak in some Chinese city, Loki, like the majority of the Avengers, hadn't paid it any mind. They just wouldn't go to China for a while. But then it wasn't just China, it was almost all of Asia and people were dying from it at an alarming rate, as alarming as how fast it was spreading.

Loki was more than happy to stay in the Compound, the less interaction with the annoying humans outside the better. And when Peter visited, Loki and Stark were, for once, in agreement to order the kid to stay off the streets. Cases in the city were rising far too high for the likes of either of them, and they didn't want Peter anymore at risk than what he already was. Peter had reluctantly agreed, though Loki felt that there would be some sneaking of patrols occasionally.

But then the Black Widow had called for a meeting, which was never a good sign.

"Nat," Steve started, his eyebrows furrowed, "Are you sure? Hydra?"

The woman nodded once, clicking the hologram remote to show an image of a male Hydra operative on the streets of three Asian countries, Italy, France, and America. "There is no doubt that Hydra is the one that created this virus and has been spreading it, and there has been an unusual uptick of activity from them as well."

"It doesn't make sense though..." Clint shook his head, looking at the files in his hands before dropping them back to the table. "Hydra wants world domination, not... extinction. There would be no one left for them to rule over. They would be pointless."

"Maybe... Maybe it's like that one Bible story..." Tony tapped his pen against the table, glancing around at everyone, "A... Noah's Ark effect or something. Destroy the world, leaving behind only what they choose, then rebuild it in their own way. That fits their deranged little mindset, right?"

It was silent as they took in the information; though Tony's tone was light, there was a certain weight behind them that was unnerving.

Sam cleared his throat, crossing his arms over his chest, "Alright, so there's motive. But how do we stop them? They have a super virus on their side, and some of us at the table are just normal humans that are very susceptible to the virus."

"That's my part in this-" Tony raised his hand, then paused and motioned towards Bruce and Dr. Cho, "Well, our part. We're working on cures and preventives to stop the spread."

"Great, and how is that-"

A small knock of the briefing door sounded, drawing everyone's attention to it. Though they weren't very strict about interruptions, it went without saying that only emergencies were permitted. Loki watched on in mild interest at what new development could cause an interruption during an Avengers meeting.

"Come in," Steve instructed, everyone watching closely as one of the low level medical staff members slowly opened the door.

"Sorry to interrupt... But there's a, um... there's a new case..."

Tony arched an eyebrow, "A new case?"

"Dr. Watkins thought it would be best to bring him into quarantine here..."

"You brought an infected person here?" Cho stood up, eyes narrowed as she started making her way around the table. "I thought we had agreed to bring the volunteers to the Tower, and we already have enough people in the program!"

"Doctor..." The staff member started, something in her eyes making Cho pause. "The infected person is Mr. Parker..."

Everyone was silent for a long while, staring in disbelief at the staff member, moving only at the crashing of Loki's chair hitting the ground from his abrupt standing. The man was to the door and shoving past the staff member before anyone could say anything, Tony soon right behind him.

Loki marched down the hall, barely paying mind to the people he passed and earning many angry looks. He didn't care though, they could hate him all they wanted as long as they got out of his way. He was almost tempted to freeze a path down the hall and force them to move... But Peter would disapprove of such a method.

So instead he kept his fast march to the medical wing, the doors slamming open from one of his tricks.

"Where is he?" Loki demanded, eyes blazing and fists clenched with emotions that even he didn't know the name of. "Where is Peter?"

The doctors and staff all gave him looks of regret and pity, paired with their expressions it meant nothing good for Loki - or Peter.

"He's in quarantine..." A nurse whispered, nodding her head down a hall, "His name will be on the door."

Without even thanking her, Loki continued on his mission of finding Peter. Which wasn't hard at all once he got to the end of the hall and saw Peter's name on the door like the nurse had said. He went inside, quickly glancing around the room to see a large glass box in the center of the room that had a bed, desk with a laptop, bookshelf, and boxed in bathroom area. Laying on the bed was Peter, a book in his hands and mask over his mouth and nose. Hearing the door open, the boy looked up to see Loki standing there.

Peter quickly stood up, book falling to the floor as he went to the dividing glass. "Loki!"

Scanning him for any obvious signs of the sickness, Loki stepped to the glass as well, "I thought I told you not to patrol while the virus was out? I thought you agreed not to patrol? What happened? Was it a lie? Did you hack into the suit again and turn off the tracker? Have you been swinging around the city all this time even after telling me you weren't?"

The more he spoke the angrier Loki got, and it didn't help that Peter's skin was pale and clammy, a cold sweat littering his forehead, dark bags were under his eyes that drooped with fatigue, a cough interrupting now and then. It was obvious that he was sick.

"No...!" Peter shook his head, placing a hand on the glass to balance himself, "No, it was just the one time... Loki, I had to..."

"That's your excuse for everything!"

"Listen to me!" Those tired eyes hardened, a flare of red passing through them as frost collected on the glass around his hand. Loki went quiet, but his arms crossed to show he was still unpleased. "Someone pulled a gun at May's hospital."

Loki's eyes widened a fraction before drawing in a deep breath, "I see..." Glancing around again, he held a hand against the glass and frowned. "Where's the door to this box? I dislike speaking through a barrier."

"Loki..." Peter shook his head, "You know you can't come in. What if you catch it too? You'd die and spread it to the others and then all the Avengers would die. We can't let that happen."

The man fixed him with a glare, "Don't be so foolish to think that I would get it. And I will not allow you to die from this, no offspring of mine will be taken down by a germ."

Peter laughed a bit, "Whatever you say, _pops_."

Loki cringed as he looked away, "Please refrain from calling me by that title ever again..."

Tony came in shortly afterwards with the rest of the Avengers, promising to work harder to find a cure. They stayed for a while, joking with the boy and trying to lift his spirits as much as their own. Loki stayed once everyone had left, sitting in one of the medical chairs to read a book of his own.

With each day that passed, Peter's condition worsened. He had apparently had the virus for a little over a week, the cough and fever predominant and the fatigue just starting to hit him. Loki noticed that each day Peter would wake up later and go to sleep earlier, struggling throughout the day to stay awake. Like the fatigue, Peter's cough got worse as well, going deeper and deeper into his lungs to the point where he struggled to breath and was almost sent into a dry heave multiple times. By the end of the second week, he had a blue tint to his lips and nails and could barely sit up in bed, requiring an oxygen mask at all times.

"I don't understand..." Tony shook his head, watching Peter sleep through the glass. Even while sleeping, the boy's cough persisted. "He has enhanced healing, why isn't that helping him? He can heal from a bullet wound in a week, why not a bug?"

"His Jotun side should fight it off as well," Loki's fists clenched at his side. "He should be well by now, not worse."

"So why isn't he? What did we miss? What detail have we not considered to look closer at? What aren't we thinking of?" Tony began pacing, roughly running a hand through his hair as he thought. Loki didn't pay him any mind as he rambled his ideas, he knew it wasn't meant to be understood. Instead, all of Loki's attention went to Peter and the slow rise and fall of his chest, the various monitors beeping his vitals status and assuring that he was alive - for now. If the sickness got any worse, then Loki feared Peter would not make it...

His fist clenched as he slammed it against the glass, his eyes closing. "Stark, give me the access code, I need to be in there."

"_Don't you dare... Mr. Stark_..." A raspy voice sounded, the speaker from the ceiling making the voice sound slightly robotic. The two men looked to see a single brown eye of Peter's, open and watching them, a weak smile under his mask.

"Did I wake you, child?" Loki asked, glancing towards his fist on the glass before looking back to Peter. "My apologies."

"_No, I should have been awake by now anyway_." Another bout of coughs started, racking through Peter's frame and bringing him almost to the brink of dry heaving. Loki slammed his hand against the glass again, glaring at the offending sickness that plagued his son.

"Stark! Get me the access code now!"

"_No_...!"

"Peter!"

"_You don't know if this will affect you or not, you can't come in here_!" Peter looked up at him, his eyes blazing with more determination and life than anyone had seen in a while. "_I'm part Frost Giant and I'm still sick, so you can't say that you won't be affected by it. It's a miracle that Dr. Cho hasn't been infected yet, she's just a normal human. I'm enhanced and part alien... I can't imagine what it's like for the humans that have it_..."

Tony took in a breath from where he had stopped pacing, running a hand through his hair as he walked over to the glass wall as well. "Yeah, it's bad for them, but you need to concentrate on you right now. You just need to focus on getting better."

"_Have you heard from May_?"

"Yeah, they stationed her in another part of the hospital, away from the sick people. She's going to come visit you tomorrow; who knows, she might even have come up with a cure too. No one messes with her nephew, person or virus."

Peter smiled a bit, looking up at the white ceiling. He suspected that Mr. Stark probably had something to do with his aunt's transferred department, and he was grateful. He showed up once and got sick, he hated to think what would happen to her while working there continuously.

His mind strayed from the topic as he drifted back to sleep, unable to fight his heavy eyelids any longer, leaving Loki and Tony to their own devices.

Peter's sleep was restless, fitful; try as he might, grasping the realm of unconsciousness and attempting to pull himself closer to it, he just couldn't get a good night's sleep. Whether it was the coughing, the body aches and muscle spasms, the heat from his fever, or just simply the fact that he had not had physical contact with any living being in the last two weeks. It might also have to do with the fact that each breath of air was a struggle...

But he must have passed out at some point, because suddenly May was there and speaking to someone seriously, sounding as if they were in the middle of a conversation. But who would May be having such a serious conversation with? The only other people here was probably-

"I understand," Loki started, clearing up Peter's thoughts instantly. "You may not think so, but I do."

"You've barely known him three months, you couldn't possibly know what I am going through."

Oh dear, they were having another parental fight... Peter had grown accustom to May's dislike of Loki through the years, especially now that Peter was reunited with the man. He couldn't blame her, she only knew his bad side and didn't yet understand that there was so much more to Loki that she knew... But that would have to wait at the moment as Loki probably needed saving from the wrath of May. If only he could will his eyes to open faster...

"No, it is you that doesn't know," Loki snapped. "You have had Peter all this time, so many memories that the two of you share. I have only just gotten his company, barely any memories if something were to... go wrong. As much as you do not wish to lose him, the same could be said for myself, perhaps even more so."

Peter's body relaxed somewhat, taking in those words filled with vulnerability that didn't seem to belong with his father. Was that truly how he felt? Peter found it difficult to swallow. Loki had always had an air of indifference about him; while Peter knew that he cared and would protect him should something happen, he never knew just how deep those feelings ran...

"Loki-"

Before May could finish whatever she had started, the whooshing of a lab door sounded as Tony's voice called out, "I've got it! I cured it! We know what to do now!"

There was shuffling, and Peter really tried to open his eyes, finding it incredibly more difficult than it should have been. Why couldn't he open his eyes?

"How?" May asked, her voice frantic... but far away. "Don't just stand there, do it!"

The sound of Tony's voice and the shuffling of equipment became more muted by the second, his body growing colder. Was he shivering, or was that an earthquake? It didn't matter because suddenly the oxygen mask over his face was suffocating and he couldn't breathe. With each futile inhale, his lungs burned. A fire started inside of his body battling with the cold of his skin.

His eyes opened briefly, Tony's face hovering over him, his uncovered mouth moving as he said something Peter couldn't hear. His eyes drifted past Tony to see Loki... There were tears in his eyes. Loki was crying.

That expression was the last thing he saw before his eyes closed again and sent him into a world of nothingness.

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A slow beeping was the first thing Peter heard, the annoying constant slowly pulling him from the comforting darkness. The more he woke up, the more he really didn't want to... His head was pounding and his body burned, the blissful numbness from before fading with each second.

What was that beeping?

Did Mr. Stark try to cook again and set off the fire alarm? That seemed the most likely... But why hasn't Friday shut it off yet? Surely the fire couldn't have been that bad? Mr. Stark's burnt food trials were bad, but just causing enough smoke to make someone's eyes water, nothing more-

A memory hit Peter like a bus... Tears in Loki's eyes. Loki was crying. Why was Loki crying? What was bad enough to make Loki cry?

Oh...

_Oh_.

With the beeping suddenly making sense, Peter fought to open his eyes. It was a struggle at first, but not as bad as before. His eyes opened just a crack at first, his lids tired and heavy, but enough to take in the dim light and see that it was safe to open them further.

Once he could fully see the muted white ceiling above him, Peter glanced around the room. A part of him was shocked to a red tint to everything. Why was he in his Frost Giant form? Had something happened to make him transform? He glanced to the side, seeing Loki taking residence of a bedside chair that wasn't there before.

His dad's eyes were closed, chin almost touching his chest and arms crossed. There were dark shadows under his eyes that Peter couldn't tell if they were just shadows or bags from lack of sleep. But it couldn't be the latter, Peter couldn't have been out long enough for Loki to get bags. So it was just the shadows in the room.

Staring at the man though, Peter found himself doubting that thought. Loki definitely looked tired and a few years older...

Peter opened his mouth, ready to call out for him, but his name got stuck in his throat. His mind and heart seemed to battle each other as to who to call.

Thankfully, he didn't have to battle himself for long. Loki shifted in his seat, his eyes opening for a brief second before closing again - then doing a double take.

"Peter," Sitting up straighter in the chair, Loki leaned in, subtly scanning the boy over. "You're finally awake, it seems."

"Yeah... How long was I out? And why am I transformed?"

Loki went silent as he drew in a breath, his eyes averting to the side. "It's been four days."

"Four?" Peter shot up straight in bed, eyes wide and frost encasing the bed sheets. But the headache very rudely reminded Peter that it was still there by sending a few particularly strong pounds and forcing him to slowly slip back down in the bed.

"Careful," Loki chastised, leaning in more to place a frozen towel on Peter's head and instantly helping ease the pain. "You've been through a lot, your body is still recovering."

Peter watched Loki for a short while, observing the way the man's hand seemed to linger over his head or the green eyes that kept glancing to the heart monitor. "What happened...?"

Their eyes met before sighing, "The healers weren't thorough enough with your evaluations, missing the signs of organ failure. The virus had stopped the normal flow of oxygen through your body, which caused multiple organs to fail. It's a rare occurrence with the virus, but you somehow accomplished it."

Peter nodded slightly, remembering a news article he read that had said something similar. But then his eyes widened for a second time as he looked back to Loki. "Wait, the virus! Am I still sick? You shouldn't be in here! You might catch it too!"

"Relax, child," Loki chuckled softly. "You were healed. Stark came up with a cure just in time."

"Oh... I see, that's great then! When can I get out of here? I would kill for a sandwich at Delmar's and some fresh air!"

A small smile tugged at Loki's lips as he shook his head, "Unfortunately, I regret to inform you that Delmar's is currently closed - and you are going to stay in here for another week at least for observation."

Peter's eyes went wide as he began to protest loudly, though Loki just listened to him. He listened to his voice, the way it broke slightly under duress of staying in the room for any longer. He listened to the steady beeping of the heart monitor that told him that Peter was alive.

Because Peter was alive and well and right there.

A small sigh passed through his lips, his shoulders dropping just slightly. Everything was going to be okay now. Just fine.

**A/N: I'm alive! I didn't die! I hope everyone is doing well during this whole mess! My town and the surrounding areas are really starting to pick up in confirmed cases... 10 in my town and 30 in the next over. I was in Walmart getting supplies last week when I saw an old man coughing very loudly in the produce section, he didn't have a mask on and he looked right at me and coughed again. To be honest... this whole ordeal scares me a lot. It was my first time going into town in a long while (my mom normally does it, but I volunteered as tribute) and it was so eerie. I've never seen anywhere so deserted before. I actually had a scare a few weeks back; I had a mild fever, a cough, body aches, and fatigue for quite a while... Turns out I just wasn't getting enough sleep because my university professor is a lazy bum that loves to overwork everyone to impossible standards. I got better once I said "screw it" and started sleeping in.**

**Please, everyone stay safe and responsible during this time. I know it's hard, I'm an introvert and even I'm suffering, but it's all for the best.**


	9. Career Day

**Requested by catastrophiqu on FFN. Let it be known, I have no clue if this is how parent day is supposed to go, or if high schools even have parent days... I was homeschooled since second grade, everyday was parent day for me XD**

**Also- regarding the last chapter. I just want to make it clear that I have no medical experience at all, especially with COVID-19. So everything that I wrote was based on medical journals/articles that I found online. I'm not saying that irl people will face organ failure when they are Peter's age and as healthy as he is, this is fiction so the events happening are extremely exaggerated. It would be a pretty boring chapter if Peter just had a cold... So while the chapter is based on real life events, please no one take it seriously as it happening to yourselves.**

Peter slowly walked up the steps of Midtown, head lowered and shoulders hunched. He tried to make himself seem as small as possible through the crowds of people, more so than normal. He could barely squeeze by in the halls, and the extra noise of chatter almost had him running for cover instead.

He hated career day...

It was supposed to be about helping students to decide what they wanted their future career to be, especially since high school was the 'critical years' for such things. And with Midtown being a math and science school, a lot of the students had really smart or powerful parents, so the school did the best they could to get everyone's parents to show up and help the students decide which path they should take for the future...

At least, that's what it was supposed to be about. It was really just a day for parents to compete with each other and their kids to brag about how great their parents were. Not to mention how much more impossible and annoying Flash became when his mom would stop by. It was horrible, the only good part being that it was a half day and he was free by lunch. The event itself should be banned or... or something. It wasn't fair to kids like Peter...

Though... Peter really couldn't call himself an orphan now that Loki was in his life, but they had agreed to keep that revelation a secret between only close friends. So ultimately, Peter was still by himself. He would have told May and asked her to come, but she had been pulling doubles all week and this was her first break in so long, he just couldn't bring himself to drag her out of the apartment for something like this.

Stopping near his locker, Peter frowned. A horde of adults were blocking a section of lockers just where Peter needed to be. Lovely... He stood there for a short time, debating if he really needed to get to his locker. But in the end, he had books in there that he would need for his first few classes and would have no choice but to go through the crowd - or risk detention.

"Excuse me," He muttered, ducking between two men. He maneuvered a bit excessively, but managed to sandwich himself between an older woman and the wall of lockers. He opened his locker a crack, all that he could in the space provided, and pulled out one textbook at a time. He was careful, making sure to grip the books tightly so none would fall and cause a scene.

He had just pulled the last book out when an elbow slammed into the door of his locker, forcing it shut with a loud clang. Peter winced as he heard the woman curse loudly, looking up at the group that now had their full attention on him.

"What are you doing back there, kid?" The woman that slammed her elbow asked, holding the joint with a vice grip. "Not doing anything naughty, are you?"

They all laughed as Peter let out an uncomfortable chuckle, shaking his head. "No, ma'am, just getting my books."

"Oh, you should have just told us to move then!"

"Hey," Another woman started, her gaze making Peter want to run away. "You're Peter Parker, aren't you? My daughter is in your homeroom class." Like that was supposed to tell Peter everything he needed to know... "You're the one that says you have an internship at Stark Industries."

"Oh really?" The adults' gazes turned from humorous to curious and accusing, Peter glanced around for an escape but found none. He was trapped and at their mercy until they were through with him.

"Yeah..." He shrugged, "That's me."

"So how did you do it?" One dad asked, "Everyone knows that Stark doesn't accept interns from high school, what strings did you have to pull to get in there?"

"None... He just saw some of my work and decided I should be an intern."

"'He'? Who's he?"

"Mr. Stark...?"

The group broke out in laughter, the kind of laughter that was mocking and hurtful. But Peter didn't have to put up with it for long. One of the women leaned against a friend, creating a clear path for Peter to bolt out of to safety. As he rushed down the hall to class, he could still hear their laughter.

He was used to it by now; no one believed he knew Mr. Stark at first. But the questions would always get too personal or demanding afterwards, something Peter really didn't want to deal with at the moment.

He rushed into his class, sliding into his seat and letting out a breath of relief. One phone call... All it would take was one phone call and he knew that Tony would drop everything to be there and make those parents stop laughing.

But he couldn't... Tony had other, more important things to do and Peter didn't want to be any more of a bother to him. Not to mention how wrong it would feel if he asked his mentor to show up to his school instead of his actual dad.

Deep down, Peter knew that if he had asked, Loki would have shown up as well. But the secrecy was for Peter's own protection, since a lot of adults were still against Loki being back on Earth. And because Loki was actually a good person (though he adamantly denies it), there was always a possibility of him saying no.

"Sup, Penis Parker?" Flash called out, marching over to Peter's desk and sitting on it and ignoring Mr. Harrington's half hearted scolding of name calling. "Where are your parents? I was really hoping to finally meet them...! Oh wait..."

"Yeah now," Another classmate, Isaiah, frowned in disapproval. "That's low, even for you, Flash."

Flash only laughed though, going back to where his mom was leaning against his desk with her phone out. "What? It's true! Peter's an orphan! There's no reason to be ashamed of it! His parents are dead, it's not like he could stop it...!"

"Be nice, Eugene," His mother said offhandedly, not truly paying attention to what was going on around her. It made Peter wonder what was on her phone that was so fascinating, because surely it must have been great for her to not hear what her son was saying... Or she was just a bad parent.

"And even your aunt couldn't show up today? That must really hurt..." Flash held a hand to his chest in mock sympathy, though the wicked smirk was still on his lips. "You must hate days like today, right? All the happy parents with their kids, perfect families, things you won't ever have."

"Flash!" Peter stood up, his fists clenched as the room took on a red hue and his body temperature dropped drastically. Though no one noticed Peter's transformation, because the classroom door slammed open at the same time and drew everyone's attention.

"Am I late?" A familiarly smooth voice asked, the sound of it immediately stopping and reversing Peter's Frost Giant form. In the doorway stood Loki, black suit hidden beneath a long coat and green scarf. "Terribly sorry, traffic today was horrible. Not to mention how badly Thor wanted to come as well; Banner had to make up a mission to distract him while I left."

The room was completely silent as parent and child alike stared in awe and wonder at the newest member of the Avengers stood in their view. Peter was the first to come out of his stupor, his arms dropping to his sides limply.

"You're here...?" He asked, head tilting slightly. "But I thought you said...?"

"I changed my mind." A quick glare shot at Flash told Peter all he needed to know, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Hold on now," Mr. Harrington inserted himself into the situation, glancing nervously between Peter and Loki. "I'm sorry, Mr. Loki, sir, but this is a parents only event."

Loki eyed the man up and down before smirking and walking towards Peter. "Yes, educator, I am well aware. And I do not see what the problem is, considering that I am a parent..."

Mr. Harrington sputtered as his eyes widened, much like everyone else in the room - Flash's mom even looked away from her phone.

"A parent...?" A couple eyes flashed to Peter, the boy smiling sheepishly. It was just like how the Avengers found out... Extremely blunt and embarrassing.

"Honestly," Loki sighed, his eyes rolling slightly, "Why do you need birth certificates to enroll in school if you don't even pay attention to what is written on them?"

Peter, like the rest of his peers, watched as Loki reached into his coat pocket, digging slightly before pulling out a piece of paper. Peter's eyes widened as Loki waved it towards Mr. Harrington, his eyes catching a glimpse of what looked like a birth certificate. But there was no way that was a birth certificate! Loki wouldn't carry around something like that just for a stupid event at his school! Right...?

Judging from the way that Mr. Harrington paled as he looked the paper over and sent a look to Peter before handing it back to Loki. "Ah, I see... I cannot argue with that, please carry on."

Loki smirked, snatching the paper back and stuffing it into his coat once more, and proceeded to Peter's desk.

"Are you kidding me?" Flash burst, staring with wide and unbelieving eyes at the father and son duo. "Are you telling me that Penis Parker has had a dad all these years but never told anyone? And that his _dad_ is _Loki_? I don't believe it!"

"Oh...?" Loki raised an eyebrow, a disapproving frown marring his face. Flash seemed to realize his mistake as he suddenly matched Mr. Harrington's skin tone. "You don't believe that I am Peter's father? You seem to know so much, why not tell me then... what exactly am I doing here, in a Midgardian school filled with annoying children such as yourself, if not because of my ties to Peter?"

Flash's mouth opened and closed, much like a fish out of water, as his eyes flickered from Loki to Peter. The silence dragged on, MJ letting out a chuckle from her seat that caused a few others to let out snorts of their own amusement.

"_Eugene_," Mrs. Thompson called, her eyes hard and wary, "Stop making a fool of yourself and sit down."

A look of hurt passed through Flash's eyes as he hurried back to his seat, his head ducked low and shoulders slumped. Peter frowned slightly, guilt eating at him for the situation that Flash was in. He glanced up to see Loki and Mrs. Thompson in a stare off, though the woman seemed to be losing.

"Loki," Peter whispered, grabbing onto the man's sleeve. He waited until he had his full attention, green eyes meeting brown, before continuing, "Class is supposed to start now, so..."

Smirking slightly, Loki nodded and went to stand by the wall, near but away from where the other parents stood. Peter watched him from his peripherals while Mr. Harrington called up the first parent to talk about their job, and he was pleasantly surprised to find that Loki actually paid attention to the small speeches of the parents. Even more so, the parents weren't trying to compete with each other of who was better, they actually talked in a normal and professional way. Perhaps because they knew they couldn't compete with Loki, or that they were terrified of him, Peter couldn't say for sure. But it was interesting to learn about what each person did and how it differed from someone else in a similar field.

"Ah," Mr. Harrington started, "Mr. Loki, sir... Do you have something for us...?"

Peter stiffened slightly, looking over at his father. Loki had a blank stare before glancing to Peter with a smirk. "As a matter of fact, I do."

Mr. Harrington gestured to the front of the room as a hushed but eager whisper broke through the class, curious as to what he could and would say. Loki sent a wink to Peter that did nothing to calm the boy's nerves.

Then he disappeared.

The hushed whispers were now loud exclamations, some students standing from their seats to look around for where the trickster went, even Peter searched for him with wide eyes. A tingle down his spine alerted him just as a throat cleared at the front of the class, everyone whipping around to see that Loki was indeed standing there with a wicked smirk.

"So cool..." Ned whispered, and Peter couldn't help the smile that broke across his face as he nodded in agreement.

"You all know who I am," Loki started. "But for argument's sake, I shall enlighten you to my many titles. I am Prince Loki of Asgard, rightful ruler of Jotunheim, first conqueror of New York, I am the reason the Avengers were formed and the newest appointed member." A few of the adults frowned, but Loki's smirk only grew at the sight. "I have tried to kill my brother, Thor, numerous times in my life, and thus led to my forming and fighting of the Avengers. I have killed, lied, cheated, and stole to better my status and position in life. I have betrayed the trust of people I grew up with, I was going down a path in life that made enemies out of every person that I met."

It went silent as everyone stared at him, Loki's smirk slowly fading as his face turned serious. "And yet now I am apart of the Avengers, the very team that I tried to destroy. My moron of a brother, despite all the times I've tried to kill him, barges into my room at all hours just to show me cat videos on YouTube. I am sent to various parts of the globe and galaxy to save and defend people. Yes, there are people that still distrust me, that wish to see me dead... But there is also groups that fall over themselves to look at me, people that thank me, there's fanart of me that depicts me as a hero..." He chuckled as he shook his head slightly before looking back up at the class.

"You may be wondering why I am telling all of you this. I know it can be hard to understand, but to put it into terms that you would know... You can change. The adults today have some pretty interesting jobs, and some might catch your eye. But if you join a field and later find that you don't enjoy it as much as you thought you would, don't be afraid to change. I used to be, for lack of a better word, a villain. But now... I wouldn't say that I am a _hero_ or such, but I am not as bad as I was. The only time when it is too late for you to change, is when you're dead."

Peter stared in awe as Loki nodded to the class before going back to stand by the wall. He honestly hadn't expected him to make a speech like that, he hadn't really expected him to say anything... But it was amazing. Peter knew that Loki was capable of great speeches, he definitely read enough Shakespearean books, but to be so motivational for a class of teenagers? He was almost worried that Loki had been replaced by some other shapeshifter...

A smile tugged at his lips as he turned back to Mr. Harrington, trying to concentrate on the lesson that was about to start. But it was hard, he had just witnessed a rare side of his dad that hardly any were deprived to. It honestly made him seem more like the hero that Peter knew he was.

Since career days were only half days, some of the parents stayed to watch their child in class. Loki was one of those parents, a part of Peter that was buried deep down swelling to the surface. He found himself fighting off a grin until his AP physics class, he completely gave up trying to stifle his prideful smile when he answered a question right and saw Loki's smirk of approval.

"You did very well today," Loki commented as the two of them walked out of the school.

"I was nothing compared to you! That speech was amazing! Everyone will be talking about that for weeks! I'll bet someone will probably even use it as a senior quote!"

Loki laughed lightly as he shook his head, "I doubt they will go that far... Besides, if someone truly did wish to quote me, I have far better lines than that."

"Like what?"

"I have a list if you would like to see if?" Loki reached into his coat, though his smirk gave him away. Peter rolled his eyes before remembering something.

"Oh, by the way, did you really bring my birth certificate? And are you actually on it?"

The man raised an eyebrow before letting out a chuckle and pulling the paper out from a pocket. "Stark suggested I bring it, knowing that they wouldn't accept my claim without proof. And surprisingly, your mother did list me as the father."

Peter took the paper, scanning it with almost shaky hands. He brushed his fingers over the names _Mary Fitzpatrick_ and _Loki Odinson_ carefully, as if touching it too harshly would cause the names to disappear. "I don't remember anything about her... She died when I was four, a plane crash with... with her husband, Richard. I always thought that it was his name on here. May never let me look at my birth certificate when I was younger, and after I found out about you, we had both forgotten it by then."

Loki was quiet for a while, looking forward with his hands in his pockets. "I cannot tell you much about her, but I can say that you look nearly exactly alike. It's a wonder that I didn't recognize you upon our first meeting."

"Really?"

A small smirk down at him was all the answer he received as the two of them walked to Happy's car.

While the two of them did plan on spending the day together, Loki was called back to the Compound for a mission briefing. So with an ice cream cone in both of their hands, Peter was dropped back off at his apartment.

"Good luck with your mission," Peter said as he climbed out of the car. "Don't hurt the bad guys too badly."

Loki rolled his eyes, "When they are as stupid as they normally are, it's impossible not to." His face suddenly turned serious, "But if that Zoom boy bothers you again, be sure to let him know that I will be doing more than just embarrassing him next time."

Peter laughed as he adjusted his backpack strap, "Sure thing, dad. And his name is Flash."

It happened so fast and so naturally that Peter hadn't even realized it happened until after Loki's eyes had widened, staring at him with an emotion that Peter hadn't seen before. Then it hit him... He called Loki dad... He's never called Loki dad before, not out loud. That was a title that was only used in his mind. But now it wasn't in his mind, it was out loud and in front of Loki nonetheless! Loki heard him call him dad!

"Ahh... Well...! I better be going now," Peter laughed nervously, backing up towards the apartment entrance. "I'll see you later!"

Just like that he was going, running for the safety of his apartment and leaving Loki staring after him. The man sat in the car for a time, just staring through the open door where Peter once was, before a smile broke out on his face. It wasn't large or evil, but soft and small. It was genuine happiness.

"Are you ready to go yet or not?" Happy asked, gripping the front seat head rest to help himself turn around. "C'mon, you're going to kill the battery with the door open like that."

Loki sent him a look as he pulled the door shut with a bit too much force, taking wicked pleasure in the wince Happy gave off. "Yes, we can go now."

The smile was still there though as Loki looked out the window. Who would have thought a simple title could give him such joy?

**A/N: I was intending to make a graduation chapter here, in honor of the 2020 seniors that had their special days ruined... I'm a graduate of 2017, but I somewhat know what you're going through. You're told that your graduation is going to be amazing and a major milestone in your life... but then it's not. My graduation was a major let down, and that's about it. So my condolences to all of you who are missing your special days, who suffered four years of high school just to have this. I am truly sorry.**

**Loki's speech is something that was brought over from the graduation chapter. It's similar to what my dad told me for graduation (and still tells me as a university student). For the last seven years of my life, I have been working towards being a police officer with an end goal as a homicide detective. But now I'm having second thoughts; while I will still be staying in the criminal justice major, I've slowly been leaving homicide and leaning towards trafficking (my mother is thrilled). So just remember, nothing is truly impossible, and the only time you can't change is when you're dead. 3**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Peter rushed inside his apartment, slamming the door behind him.

He couldn't believe that he had just let the word slip out like that! How stupid could he be? He probably made things awkward between them now! Thank God he was at least going away for a few days, Peter had no idea how he would be able to handle seeing him again so soon after that mishap.

But... deep beneath the embarrassment and self-loathing, Peter did feel a small amount of happiness at finally calling Loki for what he was. And if it wasn't so embarrassing, then he really wouldn't hate it...

"May, I'm home-"

His mind had been so preoccupied with his thoughts that he completely missed the numbing tingle at the back of his neck. Only when a bag was over his head and a needle in his neck did he finally notice it. Though it was already too late, his world was turning fuzzy at an alarming rate.

As he felt his body hit the floor, he heard a deep chuckle from somewhere above him. "Loki's son... Let's see what makes you special, hm?"


	10. The World for You

**A/N: I tried so hard to get this finished for Father's day! And technically I did finish it, I just didn't proof it... Or finish the drawings. But here it is! The tenth chapter of Lokison, finally telling what happened to Peter! It is a bit rushed... But hopefully I fixed all the plot holes.**

"What do you mean you don't know where he is?" A table flew across the room and crashed into a wall, joining in the wreckage that was caused when the news was first delivered to Loki. Obviously he did not take the news well... though no one blamed him, the boy had been missing for a week now and they had no way to contact Loki. The Avengers stood by as their briefing room was destroyed, watching with remorse as Loki raged.

"Brother..." Thor frowned, holding a placating hand out, "We will find Peter, you have my word."

Livid green eyes zeroed in on Thor, narrowing into a glare. "Your word? Like you gave me your word you would watch him while I was gone? We knew that as soon as he would be exposed as my son, my enemies from all corners of the galaxy would want to take him! You promised to keep him safe! But even nine of you could not guard him from whatever it was that took him!"

"It happened right after you left him," Stark commented, pulling the attention to him by the window. "Kid's aunt came home roughly an hour after we called you, sixty-eight minutes exactly. Which means there is only a twenty-three minute window for the abduction. You're mad at us? Join the club. We all hate ourselves for not finding him already. But don't act like it is completely our fault when you were right there when it happened. Didn't you check the house? Felt anything wrong? Saw something suspicious?"

"There was nothing there!"

"Well," Natasha shrugged, "There was literally nothing there for us either."

Loki's eyes flashed in anger, his shoulders rolling back and standing at his full height. But he said nothing, simply turning on his heel and storming out of the room. Thor went to follow him, but Bruce grabbed him by the arm.

"It would probably be better to give him some time alone. You out of everyone knows how he gets when he's upset, and this is... horrible news to any parent."

Thor, reluctantly, nodded but still turned to watch Loki march down the hall. He felt the most guilt out of everyone for losing Peter, his own nephew. He should have gone with Loki to the boy's school that day, then maybe things would have been better. Maybe he would have spent the day with Peter and the kidnapper would have been scared off; maybe he would have noticed something strange around the boy's apartment and been able to stop anything from happening; maybe, just maybe, he and Peter could fight side by side against the attackers.

But Peter was gone, and no one could find him - not even Tony and all his technologies! If the kidnapping was related to Loki's recent revelation, then anything could be happening to the boy right now... But Thor had faith that Peter was still alive, he'd have to be. If whoever took him wanted Loki to suffer, then Peter would definitely be alive - at least until Loki was around to watch his death... But they would save him before such a fate would come to pass.

"Thor," Steve started, "give him space, but keep an eye on him. We don't want Loki doing anything rash to find Peter."

Nodding slightly, Thor slowly followed after his brother, though he doubted that he would be found any time soon. Loki had the habit of disappearing when he was upset, even when they were children.

Peeking inside his room, Thor wasn't surprised to find it in tatters. It was like a shock wave went off in the middle of the room, pushing the furniture and decor away to the walls. Curtains were ripped and a bowl of fruit was splattered against a wall, books were scattered everywhere with pages torn and missing. It was much like when Thor went to him after their mother was killed... The only thing that Thor wasn't expecting was that Loki wasn't still there.

Frowning slightly, he left the room and went to check Loki's other hiding place - the roof. He and Peter went to talk up there after the two had discovered their connection, spending late nights together making up for lost time. How many times had Thor gone up there in the morning to find them both passed out?

The memory only made his heart hurt more.

Opening the door to the roof, Thor smiled sadly when he saw his brother leaning against the railing. He didn't say a word as he went to stand next to him, looking out across the forest that surrounded the Compound. He planned to stay quiet, to let Loki recover in his own time, give him space like Steve had said... but to his surprise, Loki spoke as soon as he stepped up.

"It was Amora."

Thor's eyes widened slightly, "Amora...? The Enchantress? Are you certain?"

"Fairly. She left just when you showed up."

"I can't believe it... No one has seen or heard from her since..."

"Our little battle on the Bifrost?" Loki sent him a side eye, smirking slightly as he nodded. "Yes, considering she is the one that saved me from space and directed me to that Mad Titan's ship, she was reluctant to leave my side for a while."

"But if Amora has him, then that's good news! Just complete whatever task she has set for you and Peter will be returned!"

Loki held his gaze for a while, an almost sad smile faint on his lips before he turned away. "If only the world was as simple as you saw it, brother... You seem to forget that before you returned to Asgard with the crown of Surtur, the world thought me dead, including Amora. She had been plotting my escape from the prisons before the Dark Elves attacked, and she was not very happy to discover that I had tricked her with everyone else..."

"I don't understand," Thor frowned. "What is it that she wants you to do?"

Taking in a deep breath, Loki looked out to the forest, going quiet. Seconds soon turned into a minute, and one minute into three; with each passing time, Thor grew more and more worried. Until finally... Loki answered.

"She wants me to finish what I started." He peeled his green eyes away from the scenery to look at Thor. "I have three days to conquer or destroy this world, or she will send Peter to the Sanctuary - what's left after Stark anyway."

"Loki..." Thor started, but the man shook his head, holding up a hand.

"No, brother... This is my doing, the path that I chose in life." He smirked slightly, shrugging his shoulders - but it lacked his normal mischief. "And besides, we both knew that this peace between us would never last. How could it? You said so yourself: at the end of the day, you're you and I'm me. Isn't that right?"

"Don't do this, Loki..." Thor's eyes narrowed, his shoulders squaring as he stood tall. "Peter wouldn't want you to do this. We can fight her together and get him back."

Loki held his hands out to his sides, his daggers appearing in a flash of green. "That's a chance I'm not willing to take."

**LINEBREAK**

Peter watched a woman laugh as she stared at something in a birdbath. At least... it looked like a bird bath; it was definitely the right size. Except there weren't any birds around... and they were in some brick building that had barely any light. And what could she possibly find in the water of a birdbath that was so funny? He didn't understand it.

Her green eyes looked up at him then, the evil mirth shining in them brightly as she sauntered over. "Ah, so the son of Loki is finally awake?" She asked, though the way her red lips pulled back into a smirk told him that it wasn't really a question.

"Kinda hard to stay passed out with all the cackling, but you do you, lady." He shrugged his shoulders, his hands clenching against the restraints holding him to the arms of his chair.

A perfectly trimmed blonde eyebrow raised, the smirk faltering slightly; but it returned full force as she started circling his chair. "You have the same silver tongue as your father, if not slightly more docile. It's a shame you didn't inherit his looks as well."

"_Hey_," Peter frowned, craning his neck to look at her behind him, "No need to get personal, you don't hear me commenting on how you look like a recycling sign, do you?" Honestly, she did with the amount of green in her bodysuit and headpiece/crown thing pared with her platinum blonde hair and ridiculously pale skin. But she obviously wasn't aiming for a recycling sign with all the plastic it must have taken for her to look like she did, because there was no way that she had the body she did naturally.

"You seem irritated," She pouted, leaning down over his shoulder so her face was right next to his. "Did I do something wrong? We've only just met after all, you don't even know my name."

"Considering you had me drugged and kidnapped from my apartment, yeah." He leaned his head away from her, "Yeah, I'm kinda irritated."

She hummed in thought as she stood up and walked back to the birdbath. "You have the same strong will as your father, that's for sure. Any normal man would already be begging at my feet."

Looking into the water of the birdbath again, she smirked. "Fear not, little one-"

"I'm not scared."

"-It seems that you'll be able to go home soon. He's almost finished with the Avengers..."

That perked Peter's interest, leaning as forward as he could while being restrained to the chair. "What are you doing to the Avengers?"

She looked at him, a chill going down Peter's spine from the look in her eyes. "I'm not doing anything. _Loki_ on the other hand..." She waved a hand over the birdbath, the water shooting out and spreading along the wall. As the water rippled, images began to form, moving and shifting until the shape of Loki appeared. But an Iron Man suit was right in front of him, being pinned to the wall as Loki held a dagger to the throat area. With a simple movement, Loki broke the helmet off of Tony, grabbed the front of his hair and slammed his head into the wall behind him. Peter watched with horrified eyes as Tony's body slumped to the floor.

"No! No, what is this? What are you making him do? Loki! Loki, stop!"

"He can't hear you, little one." She chuckled, watching with sadistic glee as Peter struggled against his bonds. "How does it feel? After all, you are the reason the Avengers are being destroyed right now."

Peter looked at her, his eyes wide and tears brimming in the corners. He was the reason Loki was fighting their friends... This woman must have threatened him in some way and forced Loki do to this. And Loki... he would do anything for Peter's safety. Including becoming a villain again.

His speech from Midtown's career day echoed in Peter's mind. The absolute joy in Loki's smile as he recalled the fanart people had made for him, or telling the class that it's never too late to change, even the loud applause that the class gave when he finished his speech. Peter saw it in every fiber of his being that day that Loki enjoyed being a hero now, helping people and being loved voluntarily. And he was throwing it all away now just for him... Just because of this woman.

Peter's eyes flashed red, the metal bonds creaking under his strength and cracking as a thick layer of ice coated it. The woman's smirk was wiped off as she stared at him, her eyes narrowed in anticipation.

"I won't let you do this to him. I won't let you ruin his life." His head hung low, panting slightly as he gave a sharp tug on his restraints. The woman took a step back from the sound of groaning metal. "He worked hard to become what he is now. He worked _so hard_...! You can't take it all away from him now that the people are finally on his side!"

Ice crawled across the floor, centering from Peter and spreading rapidly towards the woman. She took her eyes off of him for a moment, backing away from the approaching ice warily - she had seen how deadly Loki was with his power, she didn't want to test his son - when the sound of metal shattering echoed through the building. Her eyes shot up, but she wasn't fast enough to dodge the boy that pressed her back against the wall that previously showed Loki doing something similar to Iron Man.

A growl built from deep within Peter, his blood-red eyes glaring with hatred and rage that no boy this age should have.

But, despite all of that, the woman's red lips pulled back into a smile. "You won't kill me. You're a hero, child, not a monster."

"My dad's a hero... but he's willing to turn into a monster for me." Peter pressed his forearm against her throat as the ice started to crawl onto her own skin, "If I stop you now, then I can stop him from doing any more damage."

The temperature around them started to drop and those red lips turned downward. "I see... It seems I underestimated your side of the bond." Her emerald eyes flashed, Peter's body flying off of her and across the room. He slammed against the far wall before crashing to the floor, a groan leaving him before he went still.

Amora stared at him, a hand on her throat as her heels clicked against the floor. She stood over his body, eyes narrowed. Slowly her teeth started to grind, fists clenched, and breath came out in puffs from her nose. It took all of her restraint not to kick him.

Instead, she knelt next to his head, leaning down to his ear and whispered, "It's because of you that I lost Loki; that I lost the only thing that was important to me. So in return, I will take you away from him. You - the one thing that Loki cares about now... You don't deserve his affection, you're weak. He should have thrown you away the moment he knew about you. A child of Loki should be strong, cold, calculating and smart, nothing like you." Her fist slammed into the ground next to Peter's head, a spider web of cracks forming from the impact.

The force of her punch pulled her from her rage, taking a deep breath in as she stood up and brushed off her outfit, though her glare never left Peter's form.

**LINEBREAK**

Thor coughed as smoke filled his lungs and burned his eyes, he swatted his hand in a futile attempt to clear some of it away so that he could see properly. Though he truly didn't need to see... he already could picture the chaos around him. Half of the Compound gone, Avengers and staff scattered across the grounds, Loki gone...

His fists clenched at this side, lightning crackling around this hands. Though he didn't blame Loki for his actions, he was angry about how he was handling it. The two of them could have gone to Amora and fought her to get Peter back! There was no way she would win against the two of them - even more so if the rest of the team joined them!

But damn Loki and his trust issues... Always having to do things his way. Just once, why couldn't he be a team player for just once! Thor was worried about his nephew's well-being too! As were the other Avengers! Stark had known Peter the longest out of all of them, acting as the boy's father until Loki's ties with him were revealed! And yet Loki had still attacked him when he did not have a helmet on! It was uncalled for!

Thunder rolled through the sky, the lightning flashes visible through the smoke. Holding out his hand, he called Stormbreaker to him and jumped into the air seconds before his fist closed around the handle. He lifted off, flying as fast as he could to the city where Loki was undoubtedly headed. If Amora wanted him to finish what he started, then where else to go but where he was stopped?

_Loki_... He helplessly thought of how happy his brother had been lately, especially right before he had left on his mission. Fatherhood suited Loki, it made him a better person. It made him see the joys of being a hero, of having someone look up to him, being able to protect people. And while Loki enjoyed it, Peter was the only reason for it all. Take that away... There can be nothing more dangerous than a man who had nothing left to lose... And Peter was Loki's only saving grace.

Zooming through the city, Thor kept his eyes and ears open for cries of distress and fear, but there was nothing. It was a normal day in the city... Loki had a head start, there should have at least been a few buildings on fire by now.

Flying around the city a few times, Thor frowned. Could he have been wrong? Could Loki have gone somewhere else besides New York? If so, there was no telling the kind of damage he could be causing-

A dark suit on top of a building caught his attention, Thor nearly turning himself inside out to get there. He landed with a heavy thud behind the figure, axe gripped tightly in his hand as he marched up to him.

"Loki-"

"I can't."

The words were so quiet that Thor nearly missed them, his eyes narrowing and eyebrows pushing together, "What?"

"I can't do it..." Loki let out a frustrated sigh, his eyes never leaving the sidewalks of people below him. "I can't kill them. As soon as I arrived on the streets, ready to cut down everyone in my way, a boy missing his two front teeth came running up to me... He asked for my autograph. Mine! I was planning to kill his family, but he just smiled at me..."

"Brother... We can fight together, we can bring Peter back safely. We were an undefeated team when we worked together in the past, think of how much stronger we will be now." Thor stepped up next to Loki, a gentle smile on his face. "And with the added strength of the Avengers, we will be unstoppable."

It was quiet for a moment, nothing but the wind from Thor's earlier brewing storm passing between them. But Loki eventually sighed, his shoulders drooping, "I do hope you're right, brother."

"When have I ever been wrong?" The look that Loki shot him made Thor frown, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Shut up, it's not that often."

"I said nothing, brother..."

"You didn't have to, your eyes said it all."

They both chuckled as they looked out to the city in front of them, the city that Peter fought hard to keep clean and protect. A month ago, Loki wouldn't have hesitated to destroy it in exchange for Peter... Now, he didn't know if it was good or not that he was hesitating; it was Peter's life that was on the line... How could he not do everything in his power to save Peter? Especially now...

"You know," Loki began, a faint smile on his lips, "Just before I left, he called me 'dad'."

"Loki," Thor beamed, turning to his brother, "That's great!"

"It looked like he didn't mean to do it, like it had just slipped out; he ran inside his apartment as soon as he could afterwards. But it made me happy... It's strange how something so small as a title can make me feel... so..."

"Whole?"

The two shared a look, Loki contemplating the word before nodding. "Yes, exactly."

"I understand," Thor smiled. "He left his communication device on the table sometime ago, sending instant messages with one of his friends. He was waiting for us when we planned to go to the city, telling his friend that he was waiting on 'dad' and _'uncle_ Thor'," He chuckled excitedly at the memory. "I guess that he has been referring to us by our titles privately for a while, and he's slowly growing more comfortable around us. I cannot wait until he calls me uncle aloud...!"

Loki rolled his eyes, though he still smiled. He could picture in his mind a time in the future when Peter called them by their titles fully without embarrassment. If he had a future...

"We will bring him home, Loki," Thor promised.

"Oh, I have no doubt he will be brought home. It's whether or not he's alive is my concern."

"Loki-"

The man held up his hand, his eyes widening slightly as a memory hit him. During his invasion of Earth, there was a brief moment that Amora was there and led him away from the mission. She showed him a building that she promised to restore for him once he became ruler of the planet, his own palace as she had said.

His eyes scanned the horizon, sure enough seeing the building in the distance. "I know where they are."

Thor looked out across the skyline that Loki was watching, frowning slightly at the distance. "Brother..."

"Do you remember that time I stabbed you when we were eight...?" The two met eyes, Thor's frown deepening at Loki's smirk.

**LINEBREAK**

Flying through the city, Thor tugged on the snake wrapped around his neck a tad too tight. He was positive Loki did that on purpose...

"You are far too reckless a flyer," Loki commented near his ear. "No wonder you were crashing into everything when we were escaping in the Dark Elves' ship."

"You realize I can throw you off at any time I wish, brother?"

"You wouldn't, you need me."

Thor grumbled beneath his breath as he turned around a skyscraper, seeing the building Loki directed him to just beyond. It was an abandoned hotel, one that must have been quite good if the decorative design was anything to go on. But that must have been many years ago, because it was now falling apart; chunks of the siding was falling off, dirt plastered all over, windows broken. It could very well have been haunted too, Thor wouldn't have been surprised.

Landing on the roof with a heavy thud, Thor kept a close eye on the roof door as Loki unwound himself from his neck and transformed back into a man slightly too soon for Thor's liking and forcing him to take a step backwards.

"You were too loud in landing, she probably knows we're here now."

"Well then, next time you can fly us across the city. Oh wait, you _can't fly_."

Loki sent him a glare, dusting off his suit before walking to the door with Thor behind him. The inside of the building was dark, no lights or electricity of any kind that they could tell. Rodents ran across the floor, bugs hanging from the walls and corners, trash littering almost every inch of the hall... It was filthy. And Loki hated every bit of the idea that his son was prisoner somewhere inside.

The lower floors were not much better, the only difference being that graffiti covered the walls as well.

"I take it you didn't accept my terms?" A voice called from the shadows, the brothers stopping in their tracks to glance around them for the owner.

"I don't play by other's rules, Amora," Loki replied, his eyes narrowed to a particularly dark corner of the hall. "You've always known that."

"Not even to save your own son... That's cruel," Proving his suspicions true, the shadow materialized into the blonde enchantress, "Considering what it was he was willing to do for you."

Thor shifted his axe in his hand, Loki's eyebrows pushing together in angered caution. "What does that mean?"

"After learning of my terms for his return, he was willing to turn himself into a monster so that you didn't have to. Isn't that sweet of him?" She chuckled, sashaying forward. "He was willing to give up his morals to help you. And yet you won't do the same for him, he'll be heartbroken to find out how much you truly care for him."

Loki's heart beat heavily inside his chest, his mind running wild with what she meant. Peter must have transformed and threatened her in some way- He must have tried to fight her.

"If you hurt him-"

"You'll kill me?" She smirked, stopping a few yards away from him. "I've heard it all before, Loki. You're normally more cleaver than that."

The temperature dropped several degrees, green eyes nearly glowing in the darkness. "No, Amora... You'll find that I can do worse things than just kill you."

"I've already seen hell because of you, I'm not scared of whatever tricks you think you can pull." Despite her words and brave face, Amora took a step back. "Your mother may have been your first teacher, but you're still only second rate. And you'll find that I've improved a great deal since our last..." Her eyes looked him up and down as her red lips pulled into a smirk, "_encounter_."

Loki's frown deepened, his hands clenching at his side. Thor glanced at him in confusion, he had never seen Loki hold back his words before, not even when the three of them were on the same side in the past.

"So have I." Loki disappeared in a flash of green, a new body appearing just behind Amora with a dagger held to her throat. She gasped, her green eyes widening as she stiffened in his arms. But then she slowly smirked, glancing at him from the side.

"Impressive, you've learned how to hide and cast your magical presence. Your mother would be proud."

The blade pressed deeper into her throat, a thin line of red appearing. "Enough, just tell me where my son is and I may go easy on you."

Amora went quiet, her eyes staring straight ahead of her, her teeth gritting together as her hands clenched. The brothers both prepared themselves for whatever her next move was, her quiet voice setting them both on edge.

"Your son... Your son. That's all you care about, _your son_...! You were promised to me, Loki! Remember? A time when you called me your queen, that we would rule Midgard together! By all rights, your child should be with me! Not some human woman, creating such a weak and uncontrolled boy like that-"

The dagger was repositioned, the tip of the blade right under her jaw to force her mouth shut. "Careful how you speak about my son, our history does not give you a free pass. The moment that you took him and threatened his life, any kind of chance we might have had in the future was ruined. Now tell me where my son is before I lose what little patience I have left."

A growl built in Amora's throat as she turned her head to look at Loki from the corner of her eye. "I told you that I've improved. His death is going to be on your hands."

Loki's eyes widened as the woman's body disappeared in a blast of gold dust, a rumbling shaking the building.

"Loki, what's happening?"

"She's opening the portal… Search all the rooms! Now, quickly!"

The two ran down the hall to check each room they could, Loki sending out illusions of himself to open doors ahead of them to save time. But that floor was empty... Loki started to run to the stairs, but stopped short when he heard a very loud crash behind him; turning, he just saw Thor jump through the hole he made to the next floor.

Jumping through as well, he made it just in time to see Thor lift his axe once again to make another hole. "You search this floor, I'll go on ahead to the next!"

Nodding in response, Loki rushed down the hall and checked each room that his illusions opened. But Peter wasn't on that floor either, or the next, or the one after that. And with each passing floor, Loki felt a knot in his throat grow more.

It was like he couldn't breathe, but was breathing fine - if not slightly labored. Amora wouldn't hesitate to kill Peter, she would do so painfully. And if she still planned to send him to the Sanctuary, then it would be barbarically as well. What was left of the Chitauri were not happy with him or Stark, if Amora told them that Peter had ties to them both... Even Loki shuddered at the thought.

Loki couldn't lose Peter, not now. Not after everything he went through on Earth with the humans just so that he could freely walk down the street with Peter without worrying about someone trying to attack them both. Not when he spent so many nights learning how to cook Midgardian food for when Peter forgot to eat. Not when he finally convinced the Peter's aunt that he wasn't going to hurt the boy.

Not when Peter finally called him dad.

On the ground floor, Thor rejoined his side in the search, the two of them rushing through what was once a grand lobby but now just a dark and foreboding labyrinth.

"Do you think that she had him hidden somewhere else?" Thor asked, panic written across his face as he stood in the center of the lobby and scanned the area. When Loki didn't answer him however, he frowned and looked to his brother. "Loki? What is it?"

"There..." Loki started, taking a step towards a door in the wall. "That's where she's keeping him, there's another room...!"

The two ran to the door, Thor slamming his shoulder into it and sending it crashing to the ground. It was dark inside, but it was the room that they wanted.

On the far back wall was Amora, chanting with her arms in the air and a dark purple mist swirling around her body and the wall. At her feet was Peter, laying limply on the floor with blue skin.

"Peter!" The brothers' cried simultaneously. Thor threw his axe into the room, Amora moving her body just slightly to dodge as the weapon lodged itself into the wall.

"You can't have him!" She screamed in return, holding a hand out towards them as a golden glow surrounded her and Peter. Thor called Stormbreaker back to him, running up to the shield and swinging at it with all his force.

"That's not up to you!"

The axe collided with the shield, energy sparking between the two forces as a shockwave shot out across the room, sending Loki's hair flying around. An invisible wind built up in the room, stinging Loki's eyes but he paid it no mind. All of Loki's focus was on Peter's still form and pale blue skin. Why wasn't he moving? What did she do to him to put him in such a deep sleep - because he had to have been sleeping. He had to.

Thor brought his axe back and went to swing it again, the shield still standing as Amora chanted louder and the dark mist grew bolder. Loki could faintly see the portal starting to open, the outline of the asteroid belt just barely visible. He had to do something fast or Peter would be lost... Amora's shields were impenetrable, Thor wouldn't be able to break it in time.

Frowning to himself, Loki knelt and placed a hand on the floor with his fingers spread out. He closed his eyes, letting out a frosty breath as his skin changed colors and a thin trail of ice began to crawl across the floor. He held his breath as it neared the shield, his eyebrows furrowing in concentration. The slightest bump against the shield would alert her to his scheme...

But his ice slipped under undetected, circling around Peter on the floor and building up around him. If he could create an ice chamber around the boy, then Amora wouldn't be able to grab him and throw him to the Sanctuary-

"_No_!" The woman screamed, noticing the ice just before it could finish forming around Peter. She dropped the shield, Thor stumbling from the sudden loss of pressure, as her hand aimed at Peter with a golden glow.

It happened in slow motion... Thor regaining himself and swinging at Amora's back just a second after an energy beam shot out of her hand. Loki had run forward, desperate to catch the beam before it hit Peter. Amora cried out in pain as Stormbreaker cut deep into her back and sent her to the floor.

But the damage had been done. They weren't fast enough to stop Peter from getting hit. The gold beam that Loki had once thought was pretty in his youth was now being used to kill his son, burning a hole in his chest.

"Peter...!" He grabbed the boy's shoulders when he finally reached him, shaking him awake. But Peter didn't stir, he didn't groan or even flutter his eyes. He just laid there, completely still with a smoking burn on his chest and through his shirt. "Child, wake up, this is no time for games. Peter, open your eyes. Come on, you're stronger than that, I know you are, you can't give in to her!"

Nothing happened... Nothing changed. All of the emotions that Loki had been feeling earlier hit him full force as he stared at his son on the floor. He wasn't fast enough to save him... Loki had completely and utterly failed. He thought he could do things the right way, that he could be a hero in the end. But that backfired. If only he would have ignored the tugging in his chest as he faced that child on the street, if he had just done what Amora wanted and destroyed Earth, then Peter wouldn't have to had been...

"Loki..." Thor reached to his brother, his voice wet with emotion, but the Loki slapped his hand away.

"He was my son... And now he's dead because I couldn't commit genocide, because I couldn't conquer a world to save him." Loki's fist clenched, his eyes closing tightly, "Because I wasn't strong enough, desperate enough, clever enough, ruthless enough to protect him. And now he's dead!"

"He wouldn't want you to have conquered Midgard!" Thor frowned, his eyebrows pushing together with pained emotions. "You know he would have been angry if you did follow her orders."

"But he'd be alive!"

"But not happy." Thor shook his head slightly, grabbing Loki's shoulder and pulling him to face him. "And what would happen after you conquer Midgard? Would you become its ruler? And what of Peter then? A prince of Earth? He would have hated it, and is that how you want him to live? Resentful and unhappy? You remember your life back on Asgard before my banishment, is that what you want Peter to go through as well?"

Loki stayed silent, his green eyes wet as he glared at his brother. "But he'd be alive."

A sad smile broke across Thor's face, patting Loki's shoulder gently as he pulled him close into a hug. And while Loki normally despised the touch of others, he didn't immediately pull away from his brother.

"Who'd... be alive...?" A weak voice asked from the ground, which definitely caused Loki and Thor to pull away from each other.

"Peter!" Thor grinned, his eyes wide as he looked down at the tired face of the boy. "You're alive!"

Red eyes scanning the room and the two adults, Peter frowned slightly. "I'm alive...? What happened...? That lady, she... What happened to that lady?"

Casting an illusion on the room for Peter not to see the dead body of Amora, Loki shook his head. "Don't worry about Amora. How are you feeling? That blast has killed many different creatures in the past, even Thor would have had a hard time surviving it."

"Blast...?" Confusion was plastered all over Peter's face as he tried to sit up - but failed - and looked down at himself. It was then that he got a noseful of burnt skin and cloth. The smell triggered his pain receptors, his muscles clenching up and head slamming back down to the ground. His teeth grit together to hold in a curse and his fingers clawing at the ground, but soon found Loki's cool hand in his.

"Thor, go back to the Compound and see what medical supplies are salvageable. I'll do the best I can until then."

Thor glanced between the two but nodded, reaching down to gently ruffle Peter's hair. "Fear not, young one, we shall get you healed soon." He shared a look with Loki before rushing out of the room.

Loki, skin still blue and frozen, moved his free hand over Peter's burn and slowly applied a cooling air to it. In all honesty, Loki wasn't sure if that would even work or not, but Peter sucked in a breath and looked up at him with those striking red eyes.

"That's- That's much better... Thanks, da- Loki."

A small, slightly there smile tugged at the corner of Loki's lips. "Of course, child. Try to rest for now, you'll need your strength later."

A single jerked shake of the head cause Loki to frown, Peter taking in a deep breath as he forced words out through his pain. "No, I need to tell- I need to tell you... I'm proud... of you." Loki arched a brow in question, Peter letting out a strained chuckle. "You didn't... You didn't become a monster, like she wanted. You didn't do what she wanted. I'm proud."

"Peter... I almost lost you because I didn't follow her orders."

"You're not the type... to follow orders." Peter smirked, before he turned serious in a way that Loki had never seen. "But I'm just one person, I'm not worth the world."

It was Loki's turn to become serious, his hand tightening around Peter's just slightly. "You are worth several worlds to me."

Peter's eyes widened slightly, his breath stalling in his throat. But then he smiled, his eyes closing and hand tightening around Loki's as well. "Thanks."

"Of course. Now sleep, child. You have a long recovery ahead of you."

Peter didn't argue that time, easily slipping back to sleep as Loki did his best to stall the pain of the burn and effectively leaving him alone with his thoughts.

He hated to admit it, but Thor had a point... He hadn't about Peter's feelings at all after he had conquered Midgard, the boy would have hated every minute of being a prince to forced subjects. If there had been no other way, if it had been someone other than Amora and there was too great a doubt that Loki wouldn't have won the battle, he would have conquered the galaxy for Peter's life... The boy would have just had to learn to live with it. He would most likely have lost all of Peter's trust and respect... but as he said, Peter would have been alive.

Though he heard the way Peter had almost called him dad again, and thinking of a world without that possibility caused his heart to clench in his chest.

Looking down at Peter, Loki let out a sigh. He really had gotten soft in parenthood.


	11. Nightmares

Peter woke up with a yell, clutching at his chest as he struggled to pull air into his lungs. His body was so cold that it burned, every nerve felt numb. He gasped for air but it felt like his lungs were frozen, not expanding to fill with the substance that he needed most.

He needed a grounding but his eyes darted around his room to quickly to find anything. His mind was jumping from too many topics to properly think of a grounding method. He was stuck in a loop of panic and pain and he couldn't breathe, oh God he _couldn't_ breathe-

In the frantic movement of his hands trying to grip his chest, he brushed right down the middle of his burn and sent a sharp pain through his body that completely cleared his mind. His body was almost thrown back by the pain, his head crashing back against his pillow so quickly that it took more than a moment to regain his bearings.

Drawing in a deep breath, he was finally able to register the oxygen in his lungs and slowly calmed down. With the calming of his mind though, the pain in his chest became more prominent.

Cursing under his breath, Peter slowly pushed himself out of bed. He needed to find the pain meds that Dr. Banner had prescribed him or his night would get a whole lot worse...

Stumbling clumsily out his bedroom door, he walked down the hall towards Loki's kitchen. The Compound was still being rebuilt, which is where he would have stayed with a wound like his, so Dr. Banner and Mr. Stark had agreed it would be best that Peter stay with Loki while he healed and set up quite a good bit of medicine for him there. But why couldn't Loki be a normal person and have his medicine in the bathroom? Not the kitchen... He had to deal with the stairs because of that.

Letting out a small sigh as he stood at the top of the stairs, Peter wondered for a second if he would be able to just jump down to the bottom floor... But he quickly tossed that thought aside; he could hardly walk straight, there would be no way he could land a jump - especially one that wouldn't wake up Loki.

So he took a breath and slowly started to climb down the stairs. He learned very fast that while his mind seemed awake, his body was definitely not. More than once he found himself tilting to the side and had to stop walking and wait for his world to level out again. The throbbing-burning in his chest was absolutely not helping either.

But he eventually made it to the kitchen without further injury, his eyes set on the cabinets above the stove. Why Loki insisted on keeping it in those cabinets, he would never understand. It would have been just as fine in one of the drawers in the counter. Though he realized a dilemma once he got there...

Because of the burn on the left side of his chest, he couldn't raise his arms high enough to reach the cabinet. His maximum limit was just under halfway without pain, but that was no where near high enough. If only his healing factor would work just a _bit_ faster... He was much better than before, considering he couldn't even sit up for his first four days with the wound and was completely reliant on those around him for his basic needs - which was humiliating. Magical burns were so much harder to deal with than normal burns...

Glaring at the cabinet with all the hatred he could muster, Peter stood there for a minute debating what he could do. Shooting a web at it was out of the question mainly because he left his web shooters in his room... He could always climb onto the counter and open it normally from there, but he would have to bend backwards a bit to avoid the cabinet. There was an option of moving one of the island stools and standing on that, but he didn't know if he could keep his balance long enough to get the medicine and climb down...

The stool seemed to be his best option though, the pulsing pain in his chest beginning to reach unbearable levels that called for near desperation judgment. So he grabbed the stool and pulled it over with his slightly better arm; sitting on it, he brought his knees up to his chest and planted his feet on the seat. Slowly, carefully, he stood up, his legs shaking slightly as he held on to the back of the chair.

"Why do they have to be swivel chairs...?" Peter muttered, letting go of the chair and standing at his full height. He held his arms out just slightly, barely enough to keep him stable but still below his tolerance level. He reached out for the handles of the cabinet, but the dim lighting of the night light on the counter reflected a blue hue onto his hands that made him freeze.

The sound of screams filled his head, visions of a frozen wasteland taking over his mind. For a moment, he forgot everything and pulled his hands back, trying to rub off the blue as he stepped back. It was when his foot caught on the back of the chair that he remembered - remembered that what he saw was only a dream, remembered that he was still in his human form, remembered that he was on top of a swivel chair with a large burn in his chest.

Cursing himself for letting his mind slip so easily, Peter's hands caught the back of the chair to flip himself up and over and land solidly on his feet.

That was the plan anyway...

When his arms were fully extended, that large burn made itself known again. He let out a strangled cry as his arms gave out, sending him crashing to the floor on his back. The sudden weight shifts on the chair caused it to topple dangerously close to Peter's leg, hitting the floor with a loud crash that made Peter flinch and cover his ears.

He panted, trying to regain his bearings as he laid on the floor. Any pain he would have felt from that fall was being drowned out by the flaring of the burn - it was just as bad as when he got it. Bringing a hand to his mouth, Peter bit down on his knuckle to try and keep from yelling out. Though he was sure that Loki heard him fall, he didn't want to further embarrass himself by crying as well.

Through his pain-hazed mind, Peter could still hear Loki's rushed footsteps coming down the stairs and to the kitchen. The lighting slowly started to brighten, but Peter shook his head.

"N-No... Please... Leave the lights off."

"Peter?" The room went dark again, but Loki still turned the corner to see the teen laying on the floor. His eyes widened as he quickly knelt down next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "What happened?"

"Medicine..."

A look of understanding passed through his eyes as he glanced at the chair then to the cabinet. "You should have called me... I would have gotten it for you."

"I- I needed to get up... I couldn't stay in there..."

His eyebrows pushed together in confusion, but Loki let out a sigh as he moved a hand over Peter's burn and cooled the area. Peter sucked in a breath, his body relaxing slightly. The pain dulled enough for him to sit up, gingerly running a hand against the back of his head to feel the lump that was starting to form.

"Can you walk?" Loki asked, watching Peter with careful eyes. At his nod, Loki stood and offered his hand to help him up. Peter wobbled just a bit, Loki's hands never leaving him even after he was balanced. "Come, let's bring you to the living room... What are you even doing awake? You haven't woken up in the night like this since you were in the med-bay."

The boy looked down, biting the inside of his cheek. "I had a dream... When I woke up, I grabbed the burn and made it start hurting. I thought I could get the medicine..."

Loki let out another sigh as he guided Peter to sit on the sofa; once he was sure that Peter was safely seated, he left back for the kitchen and returned with not only the medicine, but a glass of water and an ice pack as well.

Peter eagerly took the ice pack and placed it on the back of his head, Loki setting the water down as he began to unscrew the cap to the pills. While Peter normally hated medicine, especially these pills that were much too large for him to swallow, he couldn't wait for Loki to hand it over. It worked almost instantly, blocking out the pain and letting him drift into the peaceful call of sleep-

_Damn_.

"W-Wait..." Peter frowned, holding a hand out to stop Loki from opening the bottle any further. "I changed my mind, I don't want that."

Loki's brows bushed together in confusion, looking from Peter to the bottle and back. "You nearly split your head open for something you don't want?"

"I wanted it before, I just don't want it now."

There was a beat of silence, Loki trying to catch Peter's eye and Peter very obviously avoiding it. A look of understanding passed through the man's face though, setting the pill bottle back onto the table. "I see... Would you like to talk about why you're awake right now then?"

A small shake of the head, Peter kept his eyes locked on his lap.

"Peter, my ice cannot keep the pain away forever, you'll have to tell me what's wrong so that I can help you."

Silence again, Loki waiting patiently for him to give in; if the bouncing leg and bit lip meant anything, then it wouldn't be long before Peter finally caved in.

And he was right, not a minute later Peter was sitting up straight and letting out a sigh. "I had a dream about... About that lady- Amora." Loki stiffened slightly as well at the name, getting an idea about where this would be going. "I was back in that room with her and she had just told me what she was making you do... and I killed her. I was planning to kill her in real life, but my dream... I did things I never considered, horrible things... And I enjoyed it. I enjoyed killing her...! But then, that wasn't even the worst part! Even though I wasn't in danger anymore, you still took over Earth and we forced the humans to become slaves to us. I helped you kill the Avengers... I killed Mr. Stark with my own hands... I was evil... I was evil and I liked it."

The ticking of the clock on the wall seemed much louder than it was after that confession. But then Loki shook his head, reaching over to place a hand on Peter's shoulder. "Peter, you're not evil. You never could be evil. What happened with Amora will never happen-"

"But that's the thing!" Peter's eyes flashed red for a second before fading back to brown. "That's what I was going to do! I really was going to kill her so that you wouldn't have to kill anyone! And I would do it again and again and again and again if it meant that you would get to stay as a hero! But what if I really do start to enjoy it...? What if I turn into a super villain in the end? I wasn't strong enough to defeat Amora, but what if I'm stronger than the next one? I can kill a human so easily if I don't constantly hold myself back. What if one day... I just stop?"

The lost and frightened look in Peter's eyes as tears built up in them sent a pang of hurt through Loki's chest; he squeezed Peter's shoulder slightly as he shook his head. "These worries you feel right now are the reason that's never going to happen, Peter. A villain doesn't worry about turning into a villain, he worries about getting stronger - gaining more power. But you don't want that. You want to help people, you spend more hours than the Avengers saving people - on a much smaller scale but it still stands." He shook his shoulder to gain eye contact again, "You could never be a villain because of that."

A single tear escaped Peter's eye and rolled down his cheek. "It still scares me though... I'm scared, dad... I'm really scared..."

Loki's body moved on its own, taking the seat next to Peter and pulling the boy against his chest. "I know, I know. But I won't allow you to become a villain, you have my word."

Peter's head tilted slightly, hiding his face in Loki's collarbone. And they stayed like that for at least thirty minutes, Peter's shoulders shaking with his silent cries and Loki gently rubbing and patting his back in what he hoped was comfort. Having dealt with emotions of sadness very vaguely, he was not the best at comforting... Thor would probably know what to do, he spent so much time with the children on Asgard he had to have learned something useful. But Thor wasn't there, so Loki just had to think like Thor.

As horrific as that idea was.

But before he could begin to act like that oaf, Peter drew in a shuddering breath just as his body went limp against Loki. The man blinked, moving just slightly to be able to look at Peter's face and smiled fondly as he saw the boy sleeping soundly.

Adjusting his arm around his back and tucking the other under his knees, Loki lifted Peter up and carried him back to his room. Nestled safely against his chest, Peter didn't even stir as they climbed the stairs. Entering the room though, Loki frowned.

Ice covered Peter's bed, walls, and some of the floor. The haphazard way the blanket was thrown off led Loki to believe that Peter probably didn't even see the ice when he left. It was already starting to melt though, but there was almost guaranteed to be something frozen when Peter woke up, and that would most likely lead to another panic attack...

Not that Loki would let his son stay in a wet bed. Turning, he walked further down the hall to his room and set Peter down in his bed. His plan was to let Peter sleep as he went to clean the room, but as he was standing back up, Peter's hold on the back of his shirt would not release. He reached back to try and unhook his hands, but that super human strength...

Loki held a short debate in his mind before silently admitting defeat and climbing into bed next to the boy, carefully maneuvering under the covers with him. Holding his hand up to Peter's chest, Loki let out one last wave of coldness over the burn before settling in for the night.

Peter would most likely be in pain when he woke up since he didn't take the medicine, and his room would be a mess... but Loki would wake up early to prepare the medicine, and he could overlook the mess if it meant that his son would sleep well for once...

And maybe... just maybe... Peter would call him 'dad' in the morning.

**A/N: I'm honestly a little iffy about the last scene of Peter and Loki sleeping in the same bed... I really hope that's not seen as anything bad. My dad tries to get me to take naps with him when we're in the same house, I'm 21 and it seems weird to me... But my aunt still sleeps with her mom when she goes to visit... So I don't know... It's sweet to me when it's Peter and Loki, but I get that not everyone was raised the same way. Please don't misunderstand that. **

**NEW STORY ANNOUNCEMENT! I'm going to start slowing down updates for my Peter and Loki stories as I work on a new book! It's going to be an AU of ALL of the Avengers, which will be pushing me out of my comfort zone a bit. I've never been that good at plot consistency (as seen in my story "When Impressions Fail") or writing for a group of characters at once... But I've had this idea in my head for so long, and it's slowly taking over. I don't have that much written that won't give everything away, but I can show you the idea that started it all. **

**.**

It was too easy for them to forget - way too easy, especially when they saw him rolling around in the grass like any other kid his age, even if they were, in fact, in a military base camp - that even if he was a fourteen-year-old, he'd been trained to fight, and hurt, and kill like this ever since he could walk. That he had the power and the knowledge to do some serious damage, even if he was barely five feet tall.

Despite all of the stuff he'd trained in, he'd never been taught when to stop. And that was why he was such a liability.

**.**

**There you have it! The first look into 4V3NG3R5! I'm so excited to finally be able to work on this story, you have no idea... I've even started drawing scenes for a small video based on the summary. So if you'd like to see it, be sure to follow my Instagram account, **_**karmi_draws**_**, where it'll be posted a week before the story release. And if you don't have an Insta... I may revive my YouTube account and post it there. **

**And don't worry, my Peter and Loki stories are far from finished! I still have a lot of ideas for them, I just need a little change of pace. Spider & Snake came out in 2018 and has been my main work ever since. And the Lokison idea is still so fresh and new, I can't give up on it if I tried! There will still be updates in between 4V3NG3R5's chapters, so don't fear this is the end!**

**And with that said, I hope you all look forward to my new story as much as I am!**


	12. Lokison 3 point 0

**A/N: Interrupting the somewhat whumpy plot I have going to post a new Loki and Peter meeting that was supposed to be out for Peter's birthday... There is a lot of family drama happening that stopped it from being finished in time, and even now... ugh... There's an important A/N at the end of the chapter, please read it. This chapter has also not been properly edited, I am in a rush tonight but needed to get this out before I was completely overwhelmed. Please excuse any errors that you see and I'll get back to it when I gain some freetime in the future.**

Rain pelted against the sidewalk and road, soaking everything that wasn't covered by a layer of plastic. Loki didn't care, though he did carry an umbrella with him for the sole purpose of playing the part. If he did not seem like a well put-together person, then he would never achieve his goal. And losing this was not an option.

Without even hesitating, he entered the large and cold building, a loom of darkness surrounding the place. He paid it no mind as he went to the desk, scanning the clerk's face before speaking. "Loki Odinson, I believe you have something for me."

The middle aged woman glanced at him, then glanced again before a smile spread across her lips. "Odinson, you said, sugar?" She typed into her terminal, her eyes never leaving his body. Normally he would partake in the little game of flattery that females often gave him, but today he was not in the mood. He honestly wished she had some shred of professional courtesy that stopped her from this...

"Ah, I see," She smiled at him, pushing a paper onto the desk where he was and making a point to show off her empty ring finger and long fake nails. "You're here for Peter Parker? Poor thing... I can't imagine how he feels after what he went through. I'm sure he'll be just fine to know that his daddy is here for him now though."

He didn't grace her with a response, only signed in the indicated areas before shoving the document back to her. He didn't want to be here, nor did he want Peter to be here. Not for a second longer than they had to.

The clerk might have picked up on his attitude, a small frown on her lips as she picked up her desk phone and gave the order to bring the boy to the lobby.

Seeing her mouth open again, Loki stepped away from her desk and went to stand in the middle of the room, facing the door and not her. He could hear her give a small huff before going back to typed on her terminal. At least she could take a hint...

His silent wait didn't last long however, the door soon opening as a younger female came out with a blanket bundle in her arms. Loki's body stiffened, his breath catching in his throat. The bundle was squirming and fussy, the female cooing in an attempt to calm it but seeming to fail. She looked at Loki with a soft smile and offered her arms out to him, "I'm sorry we don't have a carrier for you. His was too badly damaged in the crash, and all the others are in use."

Loki nodded dismissively, just a slight tip of his head as his eyes stayed focus on the bundle. Slowly, hesitantly, he reached out for it, the female gently setting it into his arms. Resting safely against his chest, Loki looked down on the face hidden in the bundle. For the first time, he saw the face of his son.

His eyelashes were dark from his tears, cheeks tinted red. Even at the young four months of age, he had a tuff of brown hair covering his head. His skin was the same pale pink as his mother's, though a shade or two lighter.

"Peter," Loki said softly, testing out the name given to him. The baby instantly quieted, eyes opening to reveal a curious brown gaze. But then his lips pulled back to show off his toothless smile and a bubbling giggle. Loki felt his heart tighten.

"He recognizes you," The younger girl said, smiling at the two males. Loki glanced up at her, clearing his throat as he nodded.

He was honestly not sure how Peter could recognize him, the two had never met before. When Mary had told him she was pregnant, they had both agreed it would be best to keep Loki out of the picture for everyone's sake. Mary somewhat understood the fact that Loki was not the same as her, and he lived a dangerous life that could not stop even for a child. Likewise, her career choice wasn't the safest either, but she had the power to move freely in her life while he did not. And so Loki went back to Asgard, Mary and Peter only a faint blip in his mind for the last year.

Until Heimdall called for him one day, notifying him that the Midgardian authorities were looking for him. The gatekeeper told him about the accident that Mary, her new husband, and Peter were involved in. That Mary and the man - Richard - had been killed, but Peter was alive and needed someone to care for him.

Honestly, Loki had no idea why he had agreed to this. Richard Parker had a brother that would have happily taken Peter in, a good human family. His father or brother could not know of Peter's existence, lest the boy be sent back to Midgard or trained as a mindless soldier to follow Odin's every whim. He didn't even have time to raise a child! Spending almost every hour with some member of his family...! What was he even thinking?

Taking a breath to calm himself, Loki looked the young caregiver in the eye and smiled. "Thank you for watching over him until I arrived."

"It was no trouble at all!" She smiled back, her eyes lighting up. "Peter was an angel, a little fussy, but an angel nonetheless."

Nodding once again, Loki bid his farewell and went to the door, opening the umbrella and stepping out into the dreary wetness. He would have to confide in his mother over this matter, though he knew that she would keep his secret. He would receive a lecture that lasted for hours, but she would help him.

Walking a short ways down the sidewalk, Loki veered off towards the small woods. He tucked Peter closer to his chest as tree branches brushed his arms and shoulders, making sure to keep the child as dry as possible. Peter cooed slightly, a fist wiggling out of the blanket and tugging on his jacket. He spared a glance at the baby before breaking through the trees to a clearing that was created from his trip down.

Standing in the center, Loki maneuvered Peter's hand back into the blanket before looking up at the sky, "Heimdall."

The array of lights shone around him before he felt the weightlessness of the Bifrost. He looked down to Peter, who stared at the colorful lights with wonder and awe, those brown eyes wide as they reflected the lights. Loki had to suppress a smile as he looked back up, seeing the end coming.

Solid ground appearing beneath his feet once again, Loki stood in the dome of the Bifrost. He thought for a moment, not meeting the eyes of Heimdall, before closing his own and sending out a projection of a raven to fetch his mother. She would arrive promptly, but not as so as he would like. He despised the prying eyes of Heimdall. But ever the loyal child, Loki turned to him with a raised brow and smile. "Something the matter, Gatekeeper?"

"I am curious, my prince."

"Oh?"

"I have watched over Peter since before he was born. He is smaller than I remember him."

Loki glanced down at the child again, "Perhaps your sight is off then."

"Or perhaps he has not been eating properly since his mother's passing."

The two locked eyes, Loki's narrowing slightly before the sound of his mother met their ears. They both turned, Heimdall bowing as the Queen entered the Bifrost.

"Loki, what is so urgent that we had to meet all the way out-" Her words cut off as she caught sight of Peter, her wide eyes glancing between all three men. "I believe I will need a bit more explaining done if I am to help."

Loki hesitated slightly before letting out a sigh. "Last year I snuck down to Midgard after Thor and I had that fight. Some things had happened there... involving a woman. I was unaware of what we had... _created_... when I left. But when I went back she told me that she was pregnant. We had agreed that it would be in both of our best interest to separate and that I stay out of the child's life. I left and she found another man to pass as the boy's father."

Drawing in a deep breath, Loki glanced down at Peter, "However, last week there was an accident. Mary and her husband were killed, which left the child alone. But now that he is here, I realize that it was idiotic. I do not wish for father or Thor to find out about him, nor do I want to leave him with the Barnehjem. I do not even have a place for him to stay. What am I even going to do with a child?"

"Loki," His mother hushed gently, walking up to him. She placed one hand near his cheek, the airy coldness from her illusion a familiar comfort to him as she smiled, "You are doing the right thing, I'm proud of you for taking responsibility for your son. I will help you prepare a place for him, and a story to keep him away from your father and brother. You will still be responsible for him, do not think I will allow you to hand him off to someone and simply forget about him." She patted his cheek before glancing down at the baby, "But you will not go through this alone. Now I want to hold my grandson, bring him to my garden disguised as some Midgardian flowers."

Loki nodded, adjusting his grip. "He will need food as well, I'm not sure when the last he ate was."

"I will take care of it. Now come, I'll be waiting." She pressed her hand against his cheek, a cool brush of air against his face as her body disappeared in the gold shimmer of light. He waited only for a moment before doing as his mother said, casting an illusion on Peter to look like a bouquet of flowers he saw in the woods. Without a second glance to Heimdall, Loki left the Bifrost and began the long trek now the bridge.

Frigga's garden was on the outside of the castle, just outside of the city. He had never been more grateful for that... He did not feel up to the questioning stares of the guards. He was not often seen carrying flowers, even for his mother. That was something that her maids took care of, not her sons. Even Odin was seldom seen carrying flowers...!

Upon reaching the city, Loki ducked down all the back allies that he could and headed in the direction of his mother's garden. Halfway there though, he heard Peter start to get fussy again. Eyes widening as he ducked back behind a building again, he dropped the illusion on Peter and bouncing his arms gently.

"Shh, shh, quiet now, child... We can't have someone hearing you."

But Peter didn't calm down, squirming in his arms as he began to cry. Loki frowned as he glanced down the alley, making sure that no one had come to check on the noise yet. If Peter didn't quiet soon, then it wouldn't have been long before his cries drew the attention of other Asgardians.

With a sigh, Loki cast another illusion, a green sparkle covering both he and Peter as he began to walk to the exit of the alley. Just before he entered the busy market place, an illusion fell over Loki. His appearance changed to that of a female, clothes and hair altering with his body; carrying a fussy baby through the market wouldn't be suspicious at all in this form. Which was a good call, because once Peter saw Loki change, his eyes widened in what seemed like awe at first, before starting to outright cry. A panic of his own setting in, Loki hurried along the street, smiling and nodding to the curious gazes of the citizens.

Reaching the edge of his mother's garden ten minutes later, Loki let out a sigh of relief and nearly ran inside. Peter's tantrum had only gotten worse and Loki had no clue had to calm the baby down.

"Loki?" He heard his mother call, seeing her figure step onto the path ahead of him.

"I don't understand what's wrong," He frowned, hurrying the last few steps, "He just started screaming after I cut through the market place. Is he hungry? Can a baby scream that loudly just for food?"

Frigga chuckled lightly, holding her hands up to slow her son. "Did he start crying before or after you transformed?"

"Uh..." Loki blinked, his eyes narrowing, "After."

"Why not try dropping the illusion now that you're here then? Perhaps he just doesn't recognize this form."

Loki doubted it, but did as she said, letting the illusion fade away in a flash of green light. When the baby kept crying, he gave his mother a pointed look, to which she rolled her eyes.

"Speak to him, he doesn't even know that you're you again."

Closing his eyes to draw some form of patience back to him, Loki adjusted his hold on his child and looked down at him. "Peter, it's time to be quiet now."

Once again, Peter continued crying. Before Loki could aim another look to his mother, the woman turned away and went towards the garden table. "He must be hungry then. You said he hadn't been eating?"

Loki followed behind her, letting out a sigh as he looked down at Peter. "Perhaps this was a mistake, I should bring him back..."

"Don't you dare." Frigga turned back to him, her eyes hard as she held a bottle in one hand. "I won't comment on how you left his mother alone, but what you're doing now is correcting that mistake. You are his father, there is no where else he should be than with you, Loki."

"How am I even supposed to care for a child though?" Loki sighed as he looked away, "Father would never allow me to keep him, you know how he feels about the Midgardians. Thor would never keep any else's secrets from father either, the oaf would give it away in a heartbeat if it meant he would get a higher chance of gaining the throne. But Thor is so attention demanding, I am hardly able to be by myself for a minute without him charging through whatever room I am hiding in! How am I to raise a child without them knowing?"

Frigga smiled gently at him as she stepped forward, placing a hand on Loki's cheek. "The same way I raised you and Thor while ruling a planet; patience and ingenuity. Babies are loud and demanding, but it is all worth it once you get to see them grow. His first words, first step, when a spell he's been working on for weeks is finally executed perfectly, his smile and laugh... That is what every parent strives for in their job, to be a part of those moments."

She guided Loki to sit in one of the chairs at the table, offering him the bottle. "Now, it's time to feed him before he gets anymore noisy. Keep his head supported and the bottle high."

Loki silently did as instructed, watching as Peter latched onto the bottle and holding it with his two tiny hands. Those inquisitive brown eyes, framed by wet eyelashes, gazed up at him with an innocence that Loki didn't even know could exist. And while his ears were still ringing from the boy's earlier crying, a part of Loki couldn't help but see what his mother meant.

The beginning few months with Peter were indeed difficult, even with his mother's help. They had sworn a handmaid to secrecy and had her help with Peter while Loki went on adventures with Thor, but every other time it was Loki that would stay with Peter and send an illusion out when Thor or their father inquired for him.

Learning Peter's schedule and noise meanings were taxing for him, Loki found himself looking forward to Thor's next adventure within their first week. But with each passing day, Loki couldn't help but grow more attached to the boy. Even to the point, months later, that he found himself dreading the adventures and faking sick to stay with Peter.

And as the months turned into years, Loki could not deny his growing affection for the boy. What his mother had said was true, all of Peter's firsts were well worth the trouble in between.

Though at the rambunctious age of six, Loki sincerely wished for Peter's crawling stage to come back...

"Peter, I have to leave soon, where are you?" Loki called, coming down the stairs to search their house for the boy. For some reason that Loki couldn't fathom, Peter loved to be awake before the sun. "Do you not want breakfast before Ada gets here?"

"I do!" Came the distant cry, Loki's head turning towards the sitting room. "But you have to find me first!"

Loki hid a chuckle as he entered the room, scanning it and very easily spotting where his son was hiding behind the curtain. However, he decided to play along with the antics while waiting for the handmaid. "Find you, hm? But I'm obviously not prepared for a hunt; it could take me all day."

When he didn't receive an answer, Loki smirked and began to circle the room. "Let's see... could you be hiding in the dresser? No, you're much too grown for that. Under the table then? No, not there either..."

Deliberately walking past the curtain, he listened to Peter's muffled giggle. "Perhaps you are in another room?"

Sending an illusion to continue walking to another room, Loki silently went to lean against the wall on the other side of the curtain. Peter, being as smart as he was for his age, waited for a minute before peeking out from his hiding place. As he eased his way out more, his brown eyes locked on the room entrance, Loki reached out and grabbed him around the waist and hoisted him into the air. The high pitched squeal and erupted giggles made the short wait worth every second.

"Ah ha! It seems I found the little stowaway!" Loki placed Peter over his shoulder, marching into the kitchen with him. "Now it's time to feed him before sending him off to the punisher."

"No...!" Peter wailed through his giggles, "I don't want to be with Miss Ada today!"

Setting the boy on the counter, Loki went to work preparing breakfast. "Oh? Did something happen with her? Do you not like her?"

"No, I love Miss Ada! Really, really much!" He leaned forward in his earnest, "But I want to spend today with you!"

Loki bit back a sigh as he cracked an egg into a pan, "I know, but I can't today. Your grandfather requires me for important things."

"What kind of things?" Peter began to pout, "You spent a whole week with him yesterday, and now he'll need you for another week? It's not fair! I want to require you too!"

"Uncle Thor and I have to stop some bad people first." Watching as his son deflated, Loki frowned as well. "But afterward... why not come with grandmother and I to Alfheim?"

The way that Peter brightened up instantly brought a smile to Loki's face, though he didn't have the heart to tell him that no one knew when the war with the Frost Giant rebels would end.

While the peace treaty between their kingdoms remained intact, a group of rebels decided they wanted war. And Laufey was stubbornly refusing to aid the Asgardians in their hunt for the trouble makers. No one wanted to think it, but if things kept the way they were now, then the peace treaty would be dissolved and their lands plunged back into war.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, the warning horns sounded throughout the city. Both of them looked upward, Peter flinching at the sound as he quickly looked back to Loki. "What is that? Daddy, what's happening?"

"Nothing good..." Pulling the pan of eggs off of the fire, Loki picked Peter up and briskly walked to a closet in the hall. "Stay in here until grandmother, Ada, or I return for you. Understand? Do not leave this closet."

"Where are you going?" The frantic and tear-filled eyes gazing back at him as Loki covered Peter with a blanket almost had the man crouch in the closet with him. But he knew that he couldn't.

"I'm going see what's happening."

"But, daddy-"

"I'm sorry," Loki whispered as he knelt down, placing a gentle but lasting kiss on Peter's head. "I wish I could stay, but I can't. I'll see you soon."

Closing the closet door before Peter could argue anymore and test Loki's resolve completely, Loki drew in a deep breath to compose himself before retreating from the house and back to the palace.

Even from the outskirts of the city, Loki could see ice shooting out some of the open windows and balconies of the palace. More Frost Giants must have snuck inside the kingdom... They were going to have to find whatever hole they were sneaking in from. Frowning, he cut through another back alley and used one of his many secret portals that led inside the castle.

Stepping into one of the many royal halls, Loki began making his way up to the area the Giants were at when an explosion rocked the floors. Loki's eyebrows knitted together as he turned around to look in the direction that it came from. Unease churned within him once he realized that it was from the dungeons.

This was more than just another random attack... This was something bigger, something planned. And it had to be more than just a few Frost Giants to pull it off.

He turned back and began to run to find his father and brother, keeping an acute eye out for his mother and Ada on his way. If he could get one of them to stay with Peter through this, he would feel much better.

"Loki!" He heard Thor shout, stopping him in his tracks. He turned to see his bother, parents, and a large number of guards coming out of the hall from the throne room. "Where have you been? We are under attack!"

"Oh really?" Loki tilted his head and glanced around, "I thought all the horns were to signal some festival I didn't know of."

"Enough," Odin commanded, leading the group forward to where Loki stood. "The prisons have been breached; the two of you will go to stop any of the prisoners from escaping."

"Yes, father," The brothers said in unison, bowing their heads slightly as they started to turn. Loki tried to convey to his mother with his eyes that Peter was alone, and she seemed to understand, but before she could act upon it and before he and Thor could even fully separate from the group, another explosion rocked the palace - but not as harsh as before.

Loki glanced out from one of the nearby windows, seeing a pillar of dark smoke rising into the distant air.

"It seems the city outskirts were hit." Thor commented, "Those cowards! Their fight is with us, not the civilians! Come, brother! We'll teach them a lesson they won't soon forget!"

Thor's cheer was joyful, but Loki was frozen to his place. Following the smoke down to the city, Loki recognized the area that it came from. He and his mother often looked in that very direction when one of them weren't with Peter.

Because that was where Peter was.

"Go, Loki," His mother's voice said, breaking through the ice that had begun to metaphorically encase him. He glanced to her, seeing the fear in her eyes that compelled him to move. He started down the hall that he had come, ignoring the calls from Thor. But he had to stop once more as ice started to crawl down the hall.

Real, physical, thick ice.

"Oh, look...!" A deep, guttural voice called, filled with sadistic laughter, "The entire royal family is here!"

Turning down the hall, a Frost Giant appeared, followed by three others. Loki could hear the guards shifting into attack positions and Thor calling his hammer, he could even hear his mother and father preparing themselves for a fight, but Loki couldn't look away from the supposed leader of the rebel group. Something about his eyes and wicked smirk aimed at him didn't sit right.

"Your actions pose a threat to the peace treaty that our kingdoms hold," Odin called, "Surrender now or risk starting a war."

The Giants didn't pay him any mind though, all four of them keeping their cold gazes aimed at Loki.

"I wonder, Loki Odinson, does your family know about your little secret?" The second Giant asked, his smirk growing when Loki's already pale face drained even more. "I'll take that as a no."

"What secret?" Thor asked from behind, though Loki paid him no mind. Loki was far too concerned with Peter's welfare, surely that attack couldn't have been aimed at his house... There was no way.

"That secret house we just blew up on the outskirts of town? He never told you about that?"

Loki's breath caught in his throat, the strength in his body nearly failing. How had they known? He never left the house undisguised before today, and there had been no enemies in the area when he left earlier. So how had they known?

"Loki?" He heard Thor question, but he didn't respond. He couldn't. Because they had attacked his house that Peter was still inside. They set off an explosion inside where Peter was hiding... Peter was a strong child, but he would never be able to survive that.

"He looks a bit scared?" Another Giant commented, "Should we end his current suffering?"

"Perhaps... I would love to see the reaction of the Allfather."

That caught his attention, a burning hatred building inside Loki as his fists clenched. "You dare think I will let uneducated swine like yourselves kill me after what you have done?"

"Kill you?" The first Giant laughed, "Oh no, we were never planning to kill _you_."

One of them yanked on a chain that Loki hadn't noticed before, his eyes widening when a small boy came tumbling forward. He hit the floor with a loud thud, the chains around his small wrists hitting his chin and leaving a small gash.

"Peter!" Loki took a step towards him, relief flooding through him at his son's life. But he stopped short when the Giant holding the chain covered his arm in an ice spear aimed at Peter's head.

"Now, hold on, I didn't say you could move." Eyes scanning over all of them, the first Giant nodded to himself. "It appears I was right, no one knew of Loki's bastard son."

The burning hatred filled Loki completely, compelled even further by a fierce protectiveness that he didn't know he could ever feel. But seeing Peter laying on the floor, brown eyes filled with fearful tears, and his chin bleeding, Loki lost control of his normal mastery over his emotions.

Pulling his daggers out of thin air with a flash of green, Loki bit out a growl. "If your fight is with me, then fight _me_. Leave the child out of this."

"What if our fight is with him?"

It was silent for a moment, a deadly breeze floating through the hall. Loki could feel his family tense behind him, though he paid them no mind. His focus was solely on one thing at the moment.

Getting the Frost Giants away from Peter.

"I won't allow it to be." With that said, Loki disappeared in a flash of light. Before anyone could react though, the Giant holding Peter's chains fell to his knees with a cry of pain. Turning towards him, they were barely able to see Loki move with his daggers and cut the next two Frost Giants down. Just the leader was left standing, a disbelieving rage building within his eyes as he covered his arms in ice spears.

"I will enjoy killing that brat after I am through with you...!"

They charged towards each other, Loki dropping to his knees at the last minute to slide across the floor under the Giant, just missing one of the ice spears from hitting his face. Passing underneath him, Loki lashed outward with his daggers and cut the back of his legs, sending the Frost Giant to the ground.

Standing up on the other side of him, Loki glared down as he attacked. They never stood a chance.

Twirling his daggers back into whatever realm he kept them in, Loki dusted his clothes off before turning to Peter and his mother as they worked to undo the chains. Thor stood nearby them, curiously watching his mother and supposed nephew; Odin had not moved from his earlier stop with the guards.

"Peter, are you alright?" Loki asked as he neared, trying to ignore the bad feeling his father's look caused in him.

"Daddy...!" Peter stumbled to get to his feet, but raced into Loki's awaiting arms when he did. The boy wrapped his small arms around Loki's neck and buried his face into Loki's shoulder. "I'm sorry, I tried to stay in the closet! But those men just came in and grabbed me and I tried to fight them but they were super strong! Then they blew up the house! We're homeless now! I wanted to stop them but I'm too weak!"

Loki gently rubbed Peter's back, quietly shushing him as he tried to pull back slightly. "It's alright, child, _shh_. It wasn't your fault. I was the one that was not careful enough. Now let me see your chin. They didn't hurt you anywhere else, correct?"

Peter sniffled as he shook his head, looking up so that he could show off his wound. "They said they were going to eat me though..."

"Did they now?" Loki examined the small gash, Frigga stepping up as well and offering a cloth to him. Loki took it and dabbed at the blood, cleaning it the best he could. "Your grandmother would never have allowed them to even try such an act."

"They were lucky your father got to them before I did," Frigga smiled, petting Peter's hair affectionately and causing a small giggle to build in the boy.

With Peter calmed and somewhat less bloody, Loki knew he could no longer ignore the gazes from the others in the hall. His grip tightening ever so slightly on Peter, he turned to face the unreadable expression of his father.

Nothing was said for a while, the tension building in the air faster than Loki took down the Frost Giants. Thor shifted to the side, obviously wanting to say something but for once knowing that he shouldn't speak at the moment. Because all that mattered right now was Odin's reaction.

Frigga, finally reaching her limit to the silence, took a step forward, "Odin-"

"You knew?" He cut her off, his eye still on the child.

"Yes, I helped him prepare a place to keep and raise Peter."

"And you did not tell me?"

"I did not want you to know," Loki interjected. "You would have either sent him back to Midgard or put him in the Barnehjem. Neither is something that I wanted for him."

"He does not belong here-"

"He does not belong there!" Loki snapped, "He is a child, not a warrior but not a Midgardian. Neither place knows what he needs like I do. He is mine, and if you try to take him from me you will never see either of us again."

The silence returned, the two men battling and testing each other through their eyes. And while Loki normally idolized and submitted to his father without question, he would not back down from this subject.

The silence dragged on for some time later before Odin let out a sigh, waving his hand as he turned away. "Do what you will with him. Frigga will take care of where he stays."

Loki let out a breath, watching his father leave with the guards. Even with his mother on his side, Loki had not expected the man to give in so easily.

With their father now gone, Thor came marching up to them, his blue eyes trained on Peter. "This is- He's really-?"

"Uncle Thor...!" Peter cheered as he pulled his face away from its hiding spot in Loki's neck to see the man. Thor's eyes widened as he glanced up to Loki who only scoffed and turned away.

"That is mother's doing. I told him to call you Lightning Bug."

"Nuh uh!" Peter frowned, turning back to his dad, "You call him my goofy uncle all the time! You said that if I'm ever in trouble and see Uncle Thor, then I could trust him to help me!"

"Alright," Loki huffed, lifting Peter up slightly higher in his arms, "time to feed the child to the monsters now."

"No!" Peter squealed as he giggled, reaching out to his uncle. Thor, a childlike innocence of his own coming out, swept Peter away from Loki and lifted him into the air.

"You cannot keep my nephew from me now, brother! There are too many stories he must tell me before you can hide him away again!"

"Thor, he is not Mjölnir! Do not swing him around as such!"

Frigga watched with a fond smile at the commotion her boys made. The palace would be much livelier than it had been in a long time now that Peter would be allowed to stay with them, meaning that Thor would undoubtedly attempt to babysit at random intervals.

With a sigh, she turned away from them and went down the path her husband took. They would have a lot to talk about and think through now, especially regarding Loki - and now Peter's - heritage.

**A/N: This may be my last update for a while. There's a lot of things happening at the moment, it's a miracle I even managed to finish this. University is starting, and there's a family emergency that we're going through. Without going into too much detail, my sister has just packed up her nine kids and left her abusive husband of 12 years. He's hunting them down, if he finds them he will definitely hurt them really badly; especially one of the girls that is pressing as many charges as she can against him and is the biggest threat to him going to jail. The police and CPS are involved, but even they are worried about what he will do given past circumstances he was involved in. This is a lot to ask, but I am setting up a GoFundMe page for my sister. I understand a lot of people can't donate, but if you could share it and get the word out once it's finished please, that alone would mean a lot. DM me and I will send you a link to it once it's been posted.**


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